Klonoa: Crusaders of Pugiland
by Glyphayel
Summary: Klonoa wakes up in yet another brand new world! Welcome to Pugiland, a world divided by not so friendly wars between Clans that Klonoa must stop in order to bring peace back to Pugiland and its inhabitants.
1. Vision 1-1

**Klonoa: Crusaders of Pugiland**

 **Vision 1-1: The beginning of combats**

* * *

 _...Noa…! Wake up, quickly!_

"Ugh… Wha… What…?"

 _LOOK OUT!_

Klonoa's eyes snapped open, his long ears moving around as he turned his face right and left, fully awake. He had risen up just in time to witness the giant speeding wheels about to crush him in his sleep.

"Nyaaaaa!" screaming at the top of his lungs, Klonoa managed to roll aside, barely avoiding the deadly danger. "Whew!" he exclaimed as the wheels stopped their infernal noise. "That was close..."

"Klonoa!"

Klonoa gazed up. Above him was a blue sphere-like floating being with a star above its head and a ring below. It smiled cheerfully and waved its chubby hands in a saluting gesture.

"Hewpoe!" Klonoa exclaimed, overjoyed to see his friend again. "I'm so happy that you're here! How did you–"

"Hey, kiddo!"

Klonoa and Hewpoe turned around, realizing that the wheels had completely stopped and belonged to a red carriage. The man who had talked was placed at the front, holding the reins of two horse-sized canine creatures meant to push the carriage. He was a tall, covered in reddish fur and had a pointy nose, a typical features of canines. He looked down at the strange duo below him, especially staring at Klonoa's blue attire. "What the heck were ya doin', sleeping in the middle of the plains like that?" he continued, his fox-like tail lazily moving behind his back, contrasting with the frustration of his voice. "I could've killed ya, y'know!"

"Sorry mister!" Klonoa exclaimed. "I'm Klonoa, and..."

"I called him here!" Hewpoe intervened, apologizing as well. "My name is Hewpoe. I told him to meet me in the plains, but I kept him waiting for too long, so I guess he fell asleep. We're really sorry to have troubled you, sir, but we need to go to the nearest city." Hewpoe gazed at Klonoa, winking. "This is somewhere new." he declared. "And I think we need to gather some info about the place."

Klonoa smiled as well, understanding the message. Once again, he was to explore a new place, with Hewpoe as his companion. All they needed to do was meet people and ask some questions about the current situation.

"Hmm. 'Prolly true." the fox man said, shrugging. "I sure as heck 'ave never seen chaps like you two before, and I traveled a lot around Pugiland. C'mon, you can get in. Careful though, I have some important packages to give to some folks. Don't cause any ruckus, or I'll toss ya overboard, savvy?"

"Wahoo!" Klonoa exclaimed, opening the door leading inside the carriage, Hewpoe by his side. "By the way, what's your name, Mister?"

"Call me Vyss!" The driver shouted as the carriage kept on rolling. "S'nice to meet you kids. Hang on tight now. _Hoyo_!" Following his exclamation, the two caninnes began running and the carriage rolled away. Klonoa couldn't help but pass his head through the window, his ears flowing like majestic black and white ropes behind his head. He closed his eyes, fully appreciating the speedy breeze.  
A new adventure had begun. And he could not wait to see what it had in store for him.

* * *

"...And then my father retired, so I was kinda forced to take over the job." Vyss concluded in a nostalgic tone. "I mean I didn't really mind, 'cause Pugiland's a neat place to explore, and all. It was kinda hard at first, but eh, I got the hang of it. Now, enough about me! What's your story, kids? It's kinda obvious that you're not from here." Vyss gazed at Klonoa, who had decided to sit on the front row to keep him company. Hewpoe was floating next to his head, listening as well.

"Yeah, I'm not from Pugiland." Klonoa admitted. "I'm a traveler, too. I've been to a lot different places, but I like to think of Breezegale as my home. That's also where I met Hewpoe! But… Well it's kind of a long story."

"I told ya mine, so it's only fair if I listen to yours now. 'Sides, I've got time! We've got about an hour before reachin' the Emerlight Forest, so… Oh." Vyss interrupted himself, staring in the distance. Klonoa and Hewpoe followed his gaze, noticing the three silhouettes yonder, waiting confidently on the road.

"Yeah, never mind." Vyss whispered, slowly pulling on the rails so that the two canine mounts slowed down. "Maybe I don't have much time after all."

"What? What's wrong?" Klonoa inquired, seeing as Vyss' expression sharpened.

"Bandits." he muttered between his teeth.

"Heeeeey, what do we have here?" one of the three characters exclaimed, coming out of the sun's blinding light. "A random freakin' carriage with only one guy and a darn kid to protect it! See? I told you idiots this was my lucky road!"

The three began laughing, slowly marching towards Vyss' carriage. Although they sounded like adults, they were only about five feet tall. They were all barefoot, wearing dark blue pants and a long scarf as their only clothes, thus exposing their anthropomorphic feline features. One of them began licking his paws as giant claws grew at the tip of it. "Now you better fork your goods over if you know what's good for ya, pal!"

"Uhh, Klonoa, was it?" Vyss whispered. "Can you please do as they said? Don't worry, I'm used to these situations. You just have to-"

" _Rupurudu_ , Hewpoe." Klonoa said as Hewpoe furiously nodded. In a flash of light, he turned into a sphere of energy and entered in the Wind Ring. A determined expression on the face, Klonoa jumped down from the carriage. "I don't know who you bandits think you are." he exclaimed, "But I'm not letting you have it your way!"

All three bandits raised their hands: giant claws appeared on them as they smiled, walking towards Klonoa. "And what makes you think you can actually do something, kid? Think that cute ring of yours is gonna buy your freedom?"

"No! But I can use it to buy _you_ this!" Klonoa pointed his Wind Ring at the cat bandit and a ball-shaped blast of wind came out of its jewel, instantly inflating the unsuspecting foe.

"WHAT THE…! Hey, I'm stuck!"

The magic jewel at the end of Klonoa's ring began shining, and Klonoa lifted his arm, lifting the inflated body of the bandit at the same time.  
"That's what you get for attacking the wrong carriage!" with that said, Klonoa flung his arm forward, and the inflated enemy flew to his comrades' side. They both avoided the assault and rushed towards Klonoa, claws ready to tear him to shreds. A first bandit attempted to slash Klonoa, but the latter slid below him and used his Wind Bullet again, inflating him too. The third bandit appeared behind Klonoa's back and performed a lateral slash. Klonoa jumped over it and pointed his Wind Ring downwards, using the inflated enemy as a jumping platform. The enemy was brought back on the ground, squashing his ally in the process.

"Get out, you moron!" the bandit shouted. "I can't move!"

Ignoring their dispute, Klonoa landed behind the last enemy and pointed his Wind Ring at him, inflating him like the rest of his comrades. He proceeded to kick the two of them and they flew away in the distance, unleashing horrified screams as they disappeared in the distance.  
"And don't come back!" Klonoa shouted after them. He turned back, realizing that Vyss had been staring at him the entire time, agape.  
"Are you okay?" Klonoa inquired, approaching the carriage.

"If I'm okay?!" Vyss exclaimed. "Kid, that was _awesome_ , of _course_ I'm okay! You just took down three bandits of the Beast Combat Clan like they were some dusty pebbles stuck under your shoe! How d'you do that?!"

Klonoa giggled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed. "I think Grandpa had a saying for that." he said. "' _They didn't know the task was impossible. So, they did it anyway._ ' You could say that it's exactly what happened there!"

"Heh! Your grandpa taught you well, kid." Vyss said, nodding solemnly. "I guess we should go before more of them arrive, though. And you better tell me everything about that Breezegale place of yours, 'cause I need to know how you can do stuff like that!"

"Jadoo! C'mon Hewpoe, let's keep going."

In a flash of light, Hewpoe separated himself from the Wind Ring and glanced at Vyss. "Can you tell us everything you know about that Beast Combat Clan you mentioned in exchange?"

"You've got yourself a deal." Vyss declared. "Hop in!"

Klonoa and Hewpoe happily obliged, and the carriage was off again. No other incidents happened during the rest of the trip, so Klonoa had plenty of time to tell the tales of his many adventures to an amazed Vyss, with Hewpow adding some details whenever something had been omitted. Klonoa found himself enjoying the occupation, as he didn't recall having much time to stop and talk about his experiences to people – either because the situation was too dire, or because he had to rescue someone from an imminent danger.  
After minutes that felt like hours, it was Vyss' time to talk, and he explained to the duo how the Beast Clan was one of the five Combat Clans that ruled over Pugiland, protecting it with their combined might just as they put it in danger whenever an internal conflict between them occurred.

"The Beast Combat Clan was always known to be a group of thugs, but they used to have some standards." Vyss continued in a bitter tone. "But ever since the last conflict, every Combat Clan got new leaders, and when the Beast Clan got theirs, everything changed for the worst. I dunno who their leader is, but he must be a nasty one, bullying us like that."

"What are the other Combat Clans?" Klonoa asked. "They can do something about this, right?"

"Yeah, but they can't have their eyes everywhere, so we still get harassed by Beast Clan members from time to time. As for who the others are, well there's the Blade Clan, the Fist Clan, the Pistol Clan, and the Glyph Clan. You'll have to visit their personal isles if you want details about what they do, though. I've been with a few of them, but they don't like talking about their business with commoners like me. And to be fair, I don't blame 'em. Also, uh, we're here."

"What?!" Klonoa looked to the side. The carriage had stopped a long time ago, and Vyss was relaxing against his seat, nonchalantly glancing over Klonoa's head.

"Yup!" Vyss confirmed, grinning. "Emerlight Forest is right behind ya."

Klonoa turned back and found himself staring at a giant forest filled with building-sized trees, covering a good chunk of the vast plains.

"That place isn't the friendliest one around." Vyss continued, "But if you can beat three members from the Beast Clan without breaking a sweat, this place's going to be a cakewalk for ya. Mind the dark, though, but you've been through worse, right?"

Klonoa gazed at Vyss, winking. "I've told you all about it!" he replied with a cheerful grin. "Well, I guess it's a goodbye, then. Thanks a lot for the ride, Vyss! It was really fun."

"For me too!" Hewpoe added, bouncing around joyfully.

"The pleasure's all mine, kids!" Jyss exclaimed, grinning along. "Hadn't had such an interesting trip in a while. It's the kind of things that makes we wanna keep travelin'. And as long as I do, there's a chance that we might actually meet again. So! Go on. After the forest, you'll find yourself at the edge of a cliff. Look down and you'll find a neutral town in which you'll get the info you want. Now hurry up, or I'm tossin' ya overboard!"

"Wahoo! See you next time!"

With a final wave of his hand, Klonoa jumped from the carriage and ran without looking back towards the Emerlight Forest, only switching to a more relaxed gait once he heard the wheels of Vyss' ride rolled away.  
Klonoa was used to goodbyes. And he knew full well that sticking around to elongate the moment was the best way to make it worse. "C'mon, Hewpoe!" he exclaimed, forcing himself to focus on the exploration at hand. "Let's see if this place is as scary as it looks!"

A sudden, loud concert of hisses and shrieks resounded from the forest. It continued for several minutes before finally dying down, only to be replaced by the discrete whisper of the wind.

"...or... As scary as it sounds, too..." Klonoa added quietly. "Let's be careful, Hewpoe."

Following his friend's advice, Hewpoe flew back inside of the Wind Ring. " _Do we… Do we really have to go in there?_ " he whispered shakily. " _It really doesn't sound welcoming at all..._ "

"Of course it doesn't!" Klonoa said. "It's a wild forest. We've been through a few of these before! We can make it, even if we're afraid!"

" _O-Okay. I'm ready!_ "

Nodding to himself, Klonoa marched towards Emerlight Forest, disappearing between the shadows of the imposing trunks.

 **Vision 1-1 Clear!**


	2. Vision 1-2

**Vision 1-2: Silvan maze of the Devil's Bard**

* * *

Klonoa gazed up, his ears once again picking up the distinct sounds of rustling in the large foliage crowning the branches of the surrounding trees. From time to time, animal cries would also break the silence, participating in a huge concert of noises that Klonoa and Hewpoe couldn't identify. It was an invisible spectacle, both mesmerizing and unsettling. But despite this, Klonoa remained confident as he walked through Emerlight Forest.

" _This place is really weird._ " Hewpoe said to Klonoa, hidden away inside of the Wind Bullet. " _I'll never understand how you can always stay so… calm, Klonoa._ "

"Well we've been to a lot of weird places!" Klonoa exclaimed. "It doesn't feel any weirder than rescuing a diva from a king of nightmares, or visiting a kingdom that's not allowed to dream."

" _You're right._ " Hewpoe said after a short silence. " _We've been through a lot already, so I guess I shouldn't be so cowardly… I'm sorry._ "

"No, it's fine!" was Klonoa's immediate answered. "Really, Hewpoe, it's okay to be afraid! We just gotta keep moving forward, y'know? I never know what's gonna happen when I fall asleep, so I'm always kinda scared, too. But… It's just like Vyss said." a sweet smile grew on Klonoa's lips. "In the end, I can't help but think that it's kinda fun to travel."

"Well _I_ shall make sure that you won't have any more fun traveling around _MY_ territory, trespasser!"

Klonoa froze in place before quickly looking up. Standing on a tree branch above him was a large owl with a mantle of purple feathers covering his body, black feathers covering his belly and long, crimson horn-like ear-tufts above its eerily glowing yellow eyes. It was staring down at Klonoa, motionless.

"Did… Did you talk to me?" Klonoa asked carefully.

"Of course I did!" the voice said again. "There's no other trespasser but _you_ this time!"

The bird had only slightly opened its golden beak, yet a shrieking voice had come out, surprising Klonoa. Even he had to admit that the bird's presence was far from reassuring. "Okay then, Mister Bird." Klonoa said carefully. "I didn't want to disturb you. I just need to cross this forest and get to the city, then I won't come here anymore, I promise!"

"I pay no heed to your excuses, trespasser!" the bird replied, the anger in his voice contrasting with his motionless demeanor. "For I am the Devil's Bard, and no creature stranger to my forest shall come by and do as they please!"

" _Your_ forest?" Klonoa repeated, frowning. "Hey, how is that forest yours? Nature belongs to everyone! And if someone wants to cross it without causing trouble or anything, why would you care? You're a bird! Can't you hunt for bugs or something in here?"

"It's not about hunting, you ignorant mongrel!" the Devil's Bard replied. "I am protecting this forest from people like you, who don't seem to be able to stay out of Lord Emerlight's affairs. Enough inhabitants of our woods have been suffering because of trespassers, and it is time for it to change!"

"Lord Emerlight? Suffering? But I just got here! I have no idea about what's happening in Pugiland yet! That's why I need to cross this forest!"

"...Hmm. That, at least, would indeed explain why it is the first time I lay my eyes on a strange creature such as yourself." the bird admitted. "But no matter! I cannot take any risks. Therefore, if you want to cross Lord Emerlight's territory, trespasser, I'm afraid you will have to prove your might to me first. I'll be the one judging your true intentions!"

"Okay then!" Klonoa declared, laying a determined gaze on the Devil's Bard. "If that's your challenge, then I'll take it! I'm gonna cross that forest no matter what!"

The Devil's Bard tilted his head on the side, intrigued. "Hmm. Your resolve is acknowledged, strange one." the bird opened its mantle-like wings, and a cloud of mist immediately appeared at Klonoa's feet before clouding his vision, concealing the darkness of the forest with a white veil. Then all of sudden, several yelping sounds were heard, followed by distant howling. Gazing up once more, Klonoa realized that the yelping came from the bird's beak.

"I can mimic any sound that I hear." the Devil's Bard explained. "I can also create illusions based on these sounds, but right now, it isn't what I need to put you in danger. And speaking of danger, I believe it would be for the best if you started running. Now."

"Wh-What? Why?" Klonoa whispered, confused.

The creepy glow around the Devil's Bard eyes intensified. "Because the sound I just mimicked was one of a threatened pup calling for help. And as you can hear..."

Another howl was heard. It was much closer than the previous one, and this time the ground began shaking rhythmically. A giant creature was running in Klonoa's direction.

"...Help is coming this way, thinking that you are the threat." the Devil's Bard concluded. "Enjoy the chase, trespasser!" and with that, the bird flew away, just as a giant dark purple wolf arrived on the scene. It immediately spotted Klonoa and stopped its rush. Time seemed to stop as the wolf stared at Klonoa, paralyzing him with fear.

" _K-Klonoa…?_ " Hewpoe whispered, just as terrified as his friend. " _What's wrong?_ "

Eyes. Eyes like he had never seen before. Not creepy, not angry, not evil nor vengeful. Two, utterly emotionless black balls stuck in the middle of an intimidating, oversized canine face. All Klonoa could see in the predator's eyes was a feral light. There was no reasoning, no pity to expect from such a beast. There was nothing to do but avoid it at all costs. And as if to confirm his fears, the wolf began growling in his direction.

" _MANYA_!" Klonoa exclaimed before finally running away, sinking in the fog in front of him. At this moment, Klonoa believed that he had never run so fast in his life. Though his vision was clouded by both the fog and the surrounding blackness, he leaped over branches, slid just in time to dodge others and kept on going, empowered by the will to survive. Behind, he could hear the heavy breathing of the king-sized creature, its clawed paws tearing trees apart, looking for him. It was certainly handicapped by the mist as well, else it would've certainly caught up with Klonoa already.

" _Klonoa, look out!_ " Hewpoe shouted. But before Klonoa could register the warning, his feet stomped on a softer surface than the ground. He unleashed a terrified gasp as he fell down a hole. Luckily, the wolf hadn't heard him and kept on running instead, passing over the hole. Klonoa pricked up his ears, making sure that the wolf was indeed far away. But as he did so, he heard another noise nearby: a clicking noise. Such as the one many bugs produced with their mandibles. Except this one was much louder than it should have been.

"HEWPOE!" Klonoa shouted. A slim light appeared at end of the Wind Ring. A spider twice the size of Klonoa's head was standing in front of him, startled by the light. Klonoa took the chance and fired a Wind Bullet, inflating the arachnid without trouble.

"Whew! Okay, that one's small fry, never mind that..." Klonoa whispered to himself, recovering from his previous state.

" _We're inside a giant spider burrow._ " Hewpoe informed Klonoa. " _I think I saw spider webs on the walls around up._ "

"So that's how we fell!" Klonoa realized. "I probably ran on a web on the ground and it led me here. So if we climb back on it, we should be able to get out of this hole!"

" _You mean get out of here only to run into that… that giant thing again?_ "

"I… I don't know, Hewpoe. It's probably still looking for us, but we have to give it a try." Klonoa took a deep breath. "I said I'd cross this forest no matter what." he declared with determination. "And I will!" Klonoa jumped, using the inflated spider as a platform to extract himself from the burrow. Scanning the area, he noticed that the mist was still as thick as it was when he left it. "Okay, Hewpoe." he whispered, tightening his grip on the Wind Ring. "We need to spot the other spider burrows. If the wolf comes back, we can always hide in one of them until it leaves. Let's go!" Klonoa resumed his race across the forest, wary of any noises that would reveal the presence of the wolf. Unfortunately for him, his earring was obstructed by the constant cacophony around him, caused by the many animals he couldn't see. But instead of a noise, it was the sudden, rhythmical shaking of the ground below his feet that startled him.

" _Klonoa…!_ " Hewpoe whispered. " _The ground! The wolf is running again!_ "

Klonoa feverishly stomped on the ground with his feet as fast as he could, searching for a spider burrow. As a terrifying growl announced the presence of the wolf behind him, Klonoa finally felt a soft substance below his feet. He plunged head first into the hole and fired a Wind Bullet in front of him. As expected, an inflated spider stuck itself at the end of his ring, unable to move anymore. Resting against the spider web on the wall, Klonoa felt the careful steps of the wolf above. Heart pounding, he heard the wolf walking around the hole several times before it finally gave up, searching for its prey in other parts of the forest.

"Okay… I think we're fine for now." Klonoa whispered, getting out of the hole thanks to the trapped spider. He once again looked around him before running away, keeping up with his tense routine.  
During several more minutes, Klonoa kept on playing a deadly game of hide and seek with his predator, hiding when necessary, and running away when no noises could be heard. Hoping that he had succeeded in losing the wolf, Klonoa kept on walking carefuly, navigating through Emerlight Forest as well as he could. Then, slowly but surely, Klonoa noticed the change in environment: there were less trees around him, and the soft spider burrows on the ground had been replaced by small swamps, with their waters being frequently troubled by bursting bubbles.

"Alright!" Klonoa exclaimed, looking around him. "The fog is going out! I can see more easily now."

" _Let's just figure out a way out of this place before the wolf comes back..._ " Hewpoe whispered uneasily.

Suddenly, a loud croak resounded in the distance, heralding more troubles ahead. Klonoa scanned the area, looking for the source of the noise. He could hear a distant croak answering to the first one, before a loud one startled him again with its proximity. Gazing up, Klonoa noticed a tree very close to his position. On top of one of its branches was a shadowy, bird-like figure staring down at him with shiny yellow eyes.

"You again!" Klonoa shouted angrily.

"You sound outraged." the Devil's Bard commented. "I believe you should save your hot-blooded temper when you need it, which would be right about now."

"Oh no… You've called another creature, haven't you?" Klonoa said, his anger replaced by a strong anxiety. "Well I can escape it!" he continued despite his worries. "I told you! I'm crossing this forest no matter what!"

"But you are still inside of it." the Devil's Bard insisted. "And as long as you are within my reach, I shall make sure to test your strength to its very limit. As for your question, trespasser, yes. I have indeed called other creatures. But I doubt they are the ones you should worry the most about."

"Again with your mysterious words! What do you mean?"

Several croaks were heard in the distance, interrupting the conversation. They were soon followed by splashing sounds.

"I mean that you are not the first trespasser to arrive this far." the Devil's Bard continued, "and that this has become a test to see if your will is stronger than my traps."

As the bird finished his speech, Klonoa was violently pushed aside against a tree, almost losing his Wind Ring in the process. " _Magya_!" he shouted, trying his best to endure the pain. Opening his eyes, Klonoa witnessed a frog appear in front of him. A frog big enough to match Klonoa's size, equipped with impressive jaws and paws. It let out a light croak before a gigantic tongue sprung from his mouth, aiming for Klonoa. The latter jumped away one second before, barely avoiding the assault. The tongue hit the tree instead, creating a small hole into it. Gulping, Klonoa bent his knees, ready to dart away whenever the frog would attempt to attack again. But instead of doing so, the frog let out a louder croak, and two more creatures of his kind appeared, calmly croaking along.

" _Klonoa…!_ " Hewpoe called. " _They don't seem to be very fast, but watch out for their sudden movements!_ "

"Right… Their sudden movements." Klonoa repeated to himself. He carefully walked towards the leading frog of the group, and as he expected, he let out a light croak, soon to be followed by two others. Klonoa immediately jumped, avoiding a lightning fast tongue attack. He then flapped his ears in the air to stabilize himself before falling, dodging two other attacks. He landed behind the frogs and rushed back to their position, unleashing a Wind Bullet on one of them. It immediately inflated, and Klonoa threw it to the side of a second frog. They were both thrown away, leaving one enemy remaining. By the time it turned back and opened its mouth, Klonoa had already inflated it, thus sealing his attacks for good.

" _Wahoo_!" Klonoa exclaimed, tossing the frog away. "We did it Hewpoe! Come on, let's get out of here!" Joining words with action, Klonoa turned back and ran back to the swamp field, where the surrounding fog appeared to disappear more and more. As he passed, he gazed up, looking for the Devil's Bard. But the bird was nowhere to be found.

" _He must be preparing another trap._ " Hewpoe said. " _Be careful about him, too!_ "

"Don't worry too much about this guy." Klonoa said, a confident grin on the face. "I can tell he's all about tricks and strategies! If we destroy all of his traps, we'll escape the forest in no time!" Klonoa looked around him once more, wary of any sort of change while looking for a possible way out. Several lakes of muddy water could be seen around him, calm as could be. But although there were no bubbles above any of them, Klonoa knew that more frogs or other creatures could be lurking around, waiting for him to make a wrong move.

"LEAVE ME BE! HELP! HEEEEEEEEEELP!"

The sudden cry made Klonoa blench and freeze in place as he stared into the distance. From the darkness of the trees in front of him, two shadows came out, dashing in his direction. The first that came into sight was that of a young girl about his age and size. She looked like an anthropomorphic rabbit covered in an emerald green fur, aside for the white fur around her mouth. Her reddish brown boots stomped the ground as she ran. Additionally, Klonoa noticed a peculiar blue cloak covering her shoulders, as it was shaped like an oversized bird wing. The girl leaped over a swamp, her long, silver ponytail following the motion. Behind her, the second shadow revealed itself: It was a gigantic black snake, with shiny golden eyes that lightened up the ground like some sort of natural flashlight.

"LOOK OUT!" the girl screamed as the snake opened its mouth to eat both her and Klonoa. The girl grabbed Klonoa's shoulder and pushed him aside. They narrowly dodged the bite as the snake passed, its long body slithering across the ground. From up close,

"You owe me one." the girl told Klonoa as they both rose up, looking back at the snake. A shifting in the air attracted Klonoa's eye: the snake's tail was wiggling around in a mesmerizing movement of back and forth, right above their heads. "Manya!" Klonoa shouted before taking the girl in his arms.

"Hey, what are you…!" before she could finish her protest, Klonoa stomped the ground to take some momentum and jumped, evading the lateral strike of the snake's tail that would have swept them both away. He landed as softly as he could and released the girl, grinning joyfully. "Now we're even!" he said. "I'm Klonoa. What's your name?"

"Lilyacoo. And thanks, but…" a loud sound interrupted her: it was a series of croaks, all coming from a large tree. Klonoa glanced at it, frustrated. "Seriously?!" he shouted to the Devil's Bard. "What are you doing this time?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the bird replied, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "A new trespasser has arrived. Therefore, I am calling reinforcements as well. You may have defeated three frogs, but I wonder what you can possibly do against an army of them."

"That's right, stupid bird, keep calling your frogs!" Klonoa shouted back as his Wind Ring shone. "You're just giving me more ammo to use on that snake!"

"That, bold one, is part of the challenge. Let us see if you can use the forest's resources as you please!"

A cacophonous concert of croaks followed the Devil's Bard declaration. Then, a large amount of creatures came out of the swamps around Klonoa and Lilyacoo. They had been surrounded by an army of agitated toads.

"Do it, _Abyssmuet_!" the Devil's Bard ordered. The snake's eye shone once again, targeting Klonoa and Lilyacoo. The former gazed at the latter, worried. "Can you fight?" he asked carefully.

"I wouldn't be here if I couldn't." was her immediate answer. "I… can't really help you fight the snake though, he's too strong for me. But I can definitely deal with the frogs!"

Klonoa nodded. "D'you have any weapons? Or do you fight with just your fists and feet?"

A confident smile appeared on Lilyacoo's face as she brought her hand up to a necklace Klonoa hadn't noticed before. It was composed of four small armor plates tied together with a metallic string. Lilyacoo touched the one on the far left, and a paw-shaped emblem appeared on it. As it did, Liliyacoo spread her hands, and long claws appeared at the tip of her fingers. "That should answer your question."

Klonoa nodded cheerfully. "So I'll focus on the snake!" he exclaimed. "Hewpoe!"

To Lilyacoo's surprise, the Wind Ring Klonoa held in his hand shone vibrantly and Hewpoe came out of it, a serious expression on the face. "I'll be analyzing our enemies and give you insight on their movements!" he declared. "You focus on the battle and find a way to hit their weaknesses!"

"Just like old times!" Klonoa said as his friend merged back with the ring. "Time to fight! _Rupurudu_!" he rushed to a frog's encounter, dodged the many tongues that attempted to strike him down in the process and fired a Wind Bullet. Once one of the frogs was inflated, Klonoa stopped his race just as Abyssmuet raised its neck. It dived back down, speedily slithering towards Klonoa. At the last second, Klonoa flung his arm forward and released the frog, who hit the snake's jaw and disappeared in an explosion of colors, violently harming Abyssmuet as it did. Then he performed a side step, dodging the snake's slowed down assault with ease.

" _Abyssmuet always flashes its target with its eyes to blind it and lifts its head high above the ground before going for a bite!_ " Hewpoe informed Klonoa. " _As long as you don't look at him in the eyes and keep dodging his dives, you'll be fine!_ "

"Got it!" Klonoa exclaimed. As he prepared himself for another attack, a light croak resounded behind him. Before he could turn back, he was pushed aside, hit by a vicious frog tongue. "Ugh… Sorry Hewpoe..." Klonoa said, slightly dizzy "Got a bit distracted there."

A group of frogs hopped by his side, croaking menacingly. But when they approached, a swift shadow passed through all of them, landing right in front of Klonoa as the enemies fell on the ground, deep scratches stuck on their back.

"Are you okay?" Lilyacoo exclaimed, genuine concern in her eye. "Sorry, I… I couldn't keep up with them."

"It's fine!" Klonoa said, back on his feet. "I can still fight. Let's beat them!" Klonoa moved towards a group of frogs and, using several Winds Bullets and well-aimed throws, managed to defeat them with ease. As for Lilyacoo, Klonoa could only witness some of her swift dashes towards the frogs. And by the time he turned to face them, they had already fallen on the ground, viciously struck by Lilyacoo's deadly claws. As both of them dealt with their surrounding enemies, Abyssmuet flashed his eyes on the ground, attempting to lock his gaze on them. Realizing that he couldn't have the speeding Lilyacoo as a target for more than a few seconds, the giant snake went back on searching for Klonoa and finally located him.

" _Look out!_ " Hewpoe warned. " _He found us again!_ "

Using his current frog, Klonoa performed a double jump to escape Abyssmuet's gaze. He ran around him, reaching for his back. But to his surprise, Abyssmuet immediately turned its head around, blinding Klonoa with its gleaming gaze. "Manya!" Klonoa shouted, putting an arm over his eyes to protect them. "Hewpoe, what's it doing?!"

" _Its tail is right above you! It's going to attack with it again!_ "

Ignoring the numerous dots of light that were clouding his vision, Klonoa aimed as best as he could and fired yet another Wind Bullet, trapping another frog. Panicking, he then fired a second one inside of the creature and inflated it even more, causing it to turn into a living balloon.

"Don't let go!" Hewpoe said.

"What?" Klonoa inquired. "Why wouldn't I… Wahee?!" Looking down, Klonoa realized that he had evaded Abyssmuet's tail by accidentally floating above it with the frog. Down below, Abyssmuet was once again looking around the swampy field, unaware of Klonoa's current whereabouts. Grinning, Klonoa decided to take advantage of his situation. He let his trapped enemy go and fell back on the ground, flapping his ears to cushion his fall. Once back on the ground, he grabbed another frog with a Wind Bullet. "Hey, ugly snake!" he shouted. "If you're still looking for me, I'm right here!"

Abyssmuet's eyes immediately flashed the spot Klonoa was standing on, and it had just enough time to witness the inflated frog flying in its direction. An explosion of colors hit Abyssmuet's face, damaging it once more. The snake let out a cry of pain before turning into a black liquid and flooding the ground below.

"Is it… Is it over?" Klonoa whispered to himself. But after a short silence, the black liquid Abyssmuet had left behind had moved towards the other swamps, rising the level of water across the field. Most of the remaining frogs disappeared underwater, and the others simply moved around.

"Oh gosh, no!" Lilyacoo exclaimed, visibly shocked. "He's using that trick again! Klonoa, you've got to keep running around! That snake can come out of the water at any moment, and you're its main target!" She had just finished her sentence that a frog came out of the water, splashing Klonoa at it did. Several others did the same before diving back into it.

"I can't follow their movements!" Klonoa exclaimed, his head jerking around as the enemies moved around. "What can we do?"

" _We'll be fine, Klonoa!_ " Hewpoe intervened. " _Abyssmuet always flashes a target before attacking it, remember? Keep your eyes on the water and move away when it attacks! Don't get distracted!_ "

Klonoa nodded and followed his friend's instructions. It was hard for him to keep his eyes on the ground with all the splashes around him, but none of the jumping frogs attacked, which meant that they were mere decoys until Abyssmuet itself made its move. And as if to confirm Klonoa's thoughts, two spots of light appeared below his feet, getting significantly bigger as they approached from the surface.

" _Now!_ " Klonoa thought to himself before performing a sudden turnabout and leaping on the side, barely avoiding Abyssmuet's deadly fangs. When he turned back, Abyssmuet's body was already sinking back into the water. Klonoa gazed around him, looking for frogs to capture. But most of them were too far away for him to catch them, or they were hiding underwater, just like Abyssmuet was.

"Klonoa! Catch!"

Klonoa turned around, only to witness a speeding Lilyacoo perform a light leap across the ground to reach his spot, holding a defeated frog within her claws. "I'll supply you with ammo." she declared." Find a way to get rid of that snake, and fast!"

"You can count on me!" with that said, Klonoa ran around the watery field, dodging the frogs that were coming out of the water. As he scanned the ground below his feet, Klonoa once again laid his eyes on two dots of light moving in the water. He shot a Wind Bullet inside of his frog, turning it into a balloon. As he began floating in the air, he gazed down below, noticing shiny eyes briefly flashing before disappearing into the darkness. They reappeared just as fast and grew in size, sign that Abyssmuet was coming out of the water.

" _Klonoa!_ " Hewpoe called. " _What are you doing?! It's going to catch you in mid-air!_ "

"Don't worry Hewpoe, I got a plan!"

Abyssmuet rose from the swamp, mouth wide open as it reached for Klonoa with breath-taking speed.

"Take this!" Klonoa exclaimed. He pointed his Wind Ring downwards, and used the entrapped frog as a platform to perform a jump in mid-air, swiftly evading Abyssmuet's reach. Klonoa landed confidently on the ground and rose up, just as an explosion of colors struck the snake. He gazed at Lilyacoo and flashed a thumbs up, a satisfied grin stuck on the face. "Wahoo!" he declared as a huge splash of water occurred behind him, revealing Abyssmuet's defeated body. In a flash of light, Hewpoe came out of the Wind Ring and contemplated their work, relieved. "We finally did it!" He exclaimed, gazing at Klonoa. "I'm so glad we're safe!"

"Me too Hewpoe! Come on, let's get out of here before another crazy trap attacks us. You're coming?" he added, gazing back at Lilyacoo. She was alternatively staring at Klonoa and Hewpoe, agape. "Are you two… used to this?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah, you could say that!" Klonoa replied. "But I'll get into the details later. Do you know the way out?"

"The way out. Of course I do! I'll bring you two to my place. This way!" Lilyacoo guided the duo towards another part of Emerlight Forest. They sunk back into the woods, followed by the satisfied golden eye of a bird of prey. The Devil's Bard revealed his mantle-like wings and vanished in the fog, sinking back into the shadows of his beloved territory.

 **Vision 1-2: Clear!**


	3. Vision 1-3

**Vision 1-3: Lilyacoo's Ark**

* * *

"Alright, we're out." Lilyacoo exclaimed as she sat on the ground to catch her breath. "Welcome to _Parry Town_."

Klonoa arrived at the edge of Emerlight Forest and contemplated the place down below. From where he was, Klonoa could see that Parry Town was in reality a group of urbanized villages with all of their constructions standing directly above sea level. These villages were linked together by several bridges which all lead to a rather large town center, filled with buildings and shops of various colors and shapes. It was as if someone had smashed different construction plans together to create a chaotic result. And to top it all off, Klonoa noticed a variety of ports as well as a waterfall a few meters away from Parry Town, which itself led to a wide ocean.

"Wow." Klonoa whispered to himself. "I didn't expect to find a city on water!"

"And look!" Hewpoe added, pointing at the waterfall. "The current looks pretty strong! Do ships have to ride down the waterfall to actually leave the place?"

"Yeah they do." Lilyacoo confirmed. "Which is why Parry Town usually has the best ships around: they're made to be as durable as possible, since a lot of them transport goods that aren't meant to, y'know, go down waterfalls."

"But then how do people come in?" Klonoa asked. "Do ships have to ride up the waterfall, too?"

"Yeah. As crazy as it sounds, we have special engines for that. Or, y'know, you can always transport everything by land, but to do that, you'd have to cross Emerlight Forest. And as you've seen earlier, it's not exactly the safest idea."

Klonoa nodded, shivering upon thinking that people would have to protect precious items from giant wolves, spider burrows, frogs and snakes.

"Okay I'm good." Lilyacoo assured, rising up. "Let's go to my place. It's near the ship docks. Then we'll be able to rest properly. Oh and don't fall." with that said, Lilyacoo resumed her march, followed by Klonoa and Hewpoe. She went down a narrow path that led straight to one of the isles of Parry Town. Klonoa gazed up, looking back at Emerlight Forest's freakishly tall trees one last time. "So we were on a cliff the entire time..." he realized.

"Really doesn't look like one from the other side." Hewpoe added, just as surprised as his companion.

"The wonders of geography!" Lilyacoo concluded, shrugging.

The group remained silent during the rest of the march. Lilyacoo led them through a village, ignoring the hubbub as she passed. She saluted the fully armored guards of the bridged and asked for the permission to pass along with Klonoa and Hewpoe. After a short dialogue, they were allowed to take the bridge and went on their way. They reached another village, though it looked more like a shanty town than anything else: although the streets were mostly spared from filth, the constructions looked made out of different materials, and the people seemed much less richly dressed. Many stared at Lilyacoo's colorful attire, some with admiration, others with disapproval. Seemingly used to it, she simply kept on walking, ignoring her surroundings.

"And there they are." Lilyacoo said, letting out a sigh of relief. "The docks. Here, lemme open the place for you two."

Dirty water was pouring out of large sewer pipes, and above them was a big decaying shed. It looked like a metallic house separated in two sides, with one much larger than the other, closed by a large door. Lilyacoo walked towards the smaller side and opened the door, gesturing towards Klonoa and Hewpoe. The two shared a look of concern and walked in.

"Home, sweet home." Lilyacoo said bitterly. "Don't worry about the… Y'know, the conditions."

The place was bathing in a subdued light, but even then Klonoa could see a vast number of items strewn all over the floor. There were few windows, yet a cool, unwelcoming breeze was always blowing somewhere, making the entire place feel uncomfortably cold. Near the wall behind Lilyacoo were resting two wooden boats covered with thick blankets, and two more hanging from the ceiling. "Dump" was the first word that came into Klonoa's mind if he had to describe the entire place.

"Yeah, I get that look often." Lilyacoo said, briefly looking at Klonoa's shocked stare. "I don't exactly have anywhere else to live, so y'know, I survive with what I've got. I clean up the place when I leave, but let's just say local children pranks are, uh… Nasty."

"They… They don't like you?" Klonoa asked carefully.

Lilyacoo clenched her fists. Her entire body was shaking with frustration and anger. "Why would they?" she spat, hateful bitterness oozing from her gaze and tone. "To them, I'm some sort of fancy-dressed weirdo trying to run a shady business to doom everyone. After all, why else would I go to Emerlight Forest several times a day? I'm _obviously_ a bad witch working with whatever the heck lives there, right?" she marched towards another part of the shed and grabbed the giant curtain that was blocking the view of the other side. "I mean it's not as if I was, y'know, trying to make something useful or anything!" she shouted over the noise of the curtain being pushed aside. She then walked back to the wall and pressed a button. "Like this amazing ship here designed and built by me. Also representing my best way out of this sticking place!"

The sudden light that had appeared on the other side of the shed revealed a gigantic wooden ship. It was equipped with a strange, rock-like mast held straight by wooden poles. The mast had a number of glyphs carved on it, which roughly made the shape of a winged sphere held by a clawed hand.

"Wow…" Klonoa and Hewpoe whispered in unison as they stared at the construction. Lilyacoo's scowl had been replaced by a radiant smile, incarnation of the pride she felt for her ship. "I call it the _Coo-Hatch_." she declared. "It's a ship I've been building here for quite a few years, though I had some help for its final design. Namely, Gramps — a crazy old engineer who sometimes crashes at my place to eat and give me some tips — and my personal guide, Lunshyr. She's the one who awakened me my ability, but I… don't use it very well yet."

Hewpoe's eyes slightly widened upon hearing the name. Unaware of his friend's agitation, Klonoa ended up sitting on one of the boat-bed, still unable to divert his gaze from the giant ship. "So that Lunshyr person is the one who gave you your speed and claws?" he inquired.

"Much better, actually. And that's part of why people don't like me." Lilyacoo put a hand on her strange necklace. "I have the dormant ability to absorb people's life force." Lilyacoo declared with a mischievous smile. "And when I do that, I can weaken them, copy one of their unique skills or features and, if certain conditions are met, I can keep them permanently. I got my claws from a baby wolf I met in Emerlight Forest, and my speed from a frog I caught during our fight against Abyssmuet. But I'm limited to four or five skills, so I always have to discard some of the stuff I learn to, y'know, get new ones." she pointed at her ship. "Coo-Hatch does the same. It can absorb anything at all and use its abilities or properties to upgrade itself. I've been trying to collect some wood in Emerlight Forest because it's said to allow any boat at all to float, no matter its shape and size. That's one of the final ingredients I needed for Coo-Hatch's completion."

"Awesome!" Klonoa exclaimed. "What else do you need?"

Lilyacoo gazed at Klonoa, intrigued. "Uhh… A type of ore I was going to buy from Gramps at the shop tomorrow and two enchanted sails. So I… saved some Quartz to get my stuff. But… why are you interested in these items, all of sudden?"

"Because I'm going to get them for you!" Klonoa declared, jumping off the boat-bed he was previously sitting on. "Just tell me where the market is and I'll be back in a second! I can find your Gramps there, right?"

Lilyacoo's silver hair suddenly rose above her head. They were in fact long bunny ears, and they had sprung up just as Lilyacoo stared at Klonoa in silence, illustrating the utter shock she felt upon hearing Klonoa's words. "...Look. If… If it's my Quartz you wanted all along," she said carefully, "then it's fine, y'know, you can have them. You're obviously stronger than I am, so I won't complain. I'll just keep working to save some more and—"

"No no, I don't want your money!" Klonoa interrupted. "I just want to help you finish your ship! I needed to go in town anyway, so if I can help you at the same time, I'd be happy to do it!"

Once again, Lilyacoo remained silent, seemingly unable to grasp Klonoa's words. "But… You're my guest." she insisted. "In fact, you're just a random guy I met in Emerlight Forest. We don't even know each other, and again, you're obviously a better fighter than I am. So why… Why would you want to help someone weaker than you?"

It was Klonoa's turn to appear confused. He shared a glance with Hewpoe and looked back at Lilyacoo. "Why would I need a reason to help someone?" he asked her. "We met at Emerlight Forest, you saved my life, and I saved yours. So we're friends, right? All the more reason to give you a hand!" Klonoa flashed a thumbs up and walked up to Lilyacoo. "You can come with me if you're worried about your Quartz. But then we'll have to look out for nasty pranks, right?"

Lilyacoo nodded, and her ears slowly fell on her back, once again appearing like a long ponytail. Her eyes were still as wide open as if she had seen the most terrifying ghost of her life. She put a hand to her back pocket and pulled out several small gems that she gave to Klonoa. "Thanks!" he exclaimed. "I'll be back soon. _Rupurudu_ , Hewpoe!" Hewpoe merged with Klonoa's Wind Ring in a flash of light, and Klonoa began running, exiting the shed fast as he could.

"Ah…! Wait! I didn't tell you… Where Gramps' shop was…" Lilyacoo gazed at the fading shape of Klonoa's back. He was already too far away to hear her. "This day is weird." she said to herself, shaking her head. Using her Necklace's power, she jumped in one of the beds hanging from the ceiling — her favorite — and let herself fall in a long slumber.

* * *

"C'mon, Hewpoe! I'm sure it's around here somewhere!" Klonoa exclaimed, looking all around him. He had reached the town center in no time and was searching all over for the shop Lilyacoo had mentioned.

"Maybe... Maybe we should've asked her where the shop was, exactly." Hewpoe said carefully.

"It's okay, Hewpoe!" Klonoa assured. "I'm sure we can find it on our own. We're supposed to get a special ore and two enchanted sails, right? We'll just ask around and see what we find!" joining words with actions, Klonoa began his misadventure, exploring every corner of Parry Town's town center, asking people where could the shop he was looking for be.  
Most of the people he met where tourists or explorers, which unfortunately made them just as clueless as he was. Parry Town was apparently a famous place for people to set foot on, therefore it was to be expected.

"People usually come here to see Daii's Challenge." a canine sailor informed Klonoa. "As far as I know, Daii's a descendant of one of the strongest fighters around Pugiland, and likes to put his abilities to test against people from all over the place. No one has ever been able to even scratch his defense – he can even deflect bullets and magic attacks with his bare hands!"

Klonoa thanked the man for his information and went on his way, slightly discouraged. His search wasn't going as smoothly as he had believed, but he wasn't ready to give up.

"I said _watch it_ , furrball, or I'm blowin' your head off!"

Klonoa turned his head: on his left was placed a tavern he hadn't noticed before. Right in front of it, two people seemed to be locked in a fierce argument. The first one was wearing a cowboy costume, including a poncho going from his neck down to the middle of his back. His face was covered with reptilian scales, and he was hardly staring down at the other one with his yellow eyes. Behind him, a long tail was occasionally whipping the ground.

"A filthy _scale_ -filled mongrel such as yourself has no right to speak to a proud member of the Glyph Clan in such a manner." the other one said. He was a simian dressed in a fancy golden robe with pale purple stripes.

"Oh really?" the reptile exclaimed. "And why's that, wimp? I was here to get my stuff first, the least you could do is wait your turn!"

"The _peasants_ are the one who wait for their turn. I, as I said, am a proud member of the Glyph Clan, who by the way, had reserved his place long before you showed your disgusting face to me. Begone, knave, or I shall strike you don't at once!"

"' _Strike_ '?" the reptile repeated, chortling. "You want to _strike_ me down? 'Cause you think I can't shoot faster than your stupid magic?"

"As a matter of fact…" the simian began as he swiftly raised his hand in front of the reptile's face. "…I do." A fire ball suddenly emerged from the monkey's opened palm and struck the cowboy's chest, pushing him on the ground. Several sparks landed on the people around them.

"Okay, that's _IT_!" the reptile shouted before pulling out a large pistol and shooting at his opponent. A protective barrier appeared around the mage, protecting him from damage. The crowd around them, however, did not have this chance.

"STOP IT!" Klonoa shouted as he helped several people to get back on their feet. "You're hurting everyone with this! Go fight somewhere else!"

"Shut it, kid!" the reptilian cowboy shouted back. "Dunno who you are, but you're not my boss, and you don't know who you're dealin' with here, so get lost!"

An angry scowl appeared on Klonoa's face. "Well you don't know who you're dealing with either! Hewpoe!"

In a flash of light, Hewpoe fused with the Wind Ring as Klonoa approached the tavern in front of which the two enemies were fighting. The monkey's barrier disappeared and the reptile stopped shooting. They were both staring at Klonoa, evidently surprised by his behavior.

"I said: Get _lost_ , kid!" the reptile exclaimed. He raised his gun, aimed and fired, but Klonoa had already jumped away. The bullet hit a wall at the opposite side of the place and blew up, causing even more damage to the town center.

"Stop it!" Klonoa shouted again, running towards the reptile. The latter pulled the trigger several times, but for each bullet fired, Klonoa moved away until he was close to the cowboy. Every time the cowboy took aim, Klonoa moved away, anticipating every shot before they could hit him.

"What the heck? How're you even...!"

"You don't know who you're dealing with." Klonoa interrupted before firing a Wind Bullet, inflating the unsuspecting cowboy in the process. "And I know a guy who can shoot _way_ better than you!" Klonoa turned to the monkey and threw the cowboy at him. As he had expected, a barrier immediately appeared to protect him, deflecting the shot. The inflated cowboy was sent flying away, screaming for help.

" _I saw him put down his barrier when he's attacking_ " Hewpoe informed Klonoa. "If you force him to attack you, you might beat him before he puts on his barrier again!"

Klonoa nodded to himself and began running towards the monkey, who immediately threw fire balls at him. They were even slower than the cowboy's bullets, but their larger size still made them quite dangerous for Klonoa to approach. Despite this, he managed to dodge the attacks until he was at firing range. The monkey put on his barrier again. "Hah!" he exclaimed, a triumphant smile painted on the face. "Go ahead and try to inflate me now, mongrel!"

A sly grin replaced Klonoa's scowl as he waited in front of the monkey, arms crossed. "I'm gonna wait until you run out of magic instead." he told him. Realizing his terrible situation, the monkey began panicking. He pulled out a book, feverishly flying through the pages as he tried to find a solution to his problem.

"ah-HA!" he shouted. "Now you shall see how powerful I really am! Monster Cast!" A magic circle appeared on the ground, right next to the monkey. A sudden flash of light occurred as a red Moo appeared.

"Tremble before the might of my mighty familiar, mongrel!" the monkey exclaimed. "For he is bigger than I, and possesses a strength that can…!"

Klonoa raised his arm and fired a Wind Bullet. The monkey was instantly inflated. "Your barrier went down the moment you cast the spell." Klonoa said, trying his best not to laugh. "Anyway, bye!"

"No, wait! I didn't…! AAAAAAAAAAH!"

Klonoa gazed back on the abandoned Moo as its master flew away in the distance. "You can go if you want!" Klonoa told him. "Just promise me you won't harm anyone, okay?"

The Moo happily nodded and went on his way, disappearing in the crowd of people that had gathered around the tavern to look at the one who had not only stood up to members of mighty Combat Clans, but had also defeated them.

"Good job there, kiddo!" a loud voice shouted from inside the tavern. Klonoa turned around and instantly took several steps back as a giant silhouette came out of it.

"Yeah, that's usually what happens when I walk up to people." the man said, chuckling. Don't worry, boy: I'm too old to bite. Else I would've taken care of those two morons myself." he finally came out of the tavern, revealing to be a giant bear with spiky black fur, save for the silver ring of fur around his neck. He pulled out an old chair from behind his back and sat next to the door, a wooden stick stuck in his mouth. "Name's Bartoul Silverback – don't ask who's the idiot who named me that, as the silver part's always been around my neck. But enough ramblin': welcome to my tavern, kiddo. I guess you came 'round these parts to buy some of my stuff, am I right?"

"Um… Well, I'm not sure if you're the one selling this, but I came here to get a special type of ore and –"

"And two enchanted sails, which means that my lil' Coo sent ya here." Bartoul interrupted, thoughtful. "Huh. Kind of surprised there kiddo. She doesn't trust anyone, and for good reason – even I have to give her some privacy once in a while. How the heck didja end up doing errands for the gal?"

"I just wanted to help her buy what she needed for… uh… Her project." Klonoa continued in a whisper, realizing that people were still staring at him or pointing in his direction.

"...Huh. You must be very special for her to accept that kind of stuff. Then again you did just defeat two idiots from the Combat Clans like they were some dusty pebbles stuck under your shoe. Ah well! Not my business, I guess. So, two Enchanted Sails and some Silverwood Ore..."

Klonoa giggled as Bartoul rose from his chair and disappeared inside the tavern. Vyss had said told him the exact same thing when he saved him from the members of the Beast Clan.

" _Um… Klonoa?"_

Klonoa frowned. " _Oh, Hewpoe! You can come out, you know. We don't need to fight anymore_."

" _It's… it's not that. I just want to make sure I'm not seen too much in public now."_

" _Huh? Why?"_

" _...Um… I… Can I… Can I tell you a secret?"_

" _Why d'you even ask? We're friends! You know you can tell me anything_."

There was a short silence. Klonoa waited until Hewpoe decided to speak again, and finally he did.

" _I...I volunteered for a very special mission my Mother wanted someone to complete. And that's why I called you: I need your help with something_."

Klonoa nodded slowly. "Okay. So, what is it?"

" _It's… It's about Lilyacoo's guardian, Lunshyr. I know her. She's… She's a highly ranked soldier from the Moon Kingdom back in Phantomile. And… She's not supposed to be alive anymore._ "

 **Vision 1-3: Clear!**


	4. Vision 1-4

**Vision 1-4: Horizons of Lunshyr and Lilyacoo**

* * *

"And here's what you wanted, kid!" Bartoul exclaimed, handing over the items to Klonoa. "Silverwood Ore and two Enchanted Sails. I put everythin' in this shoulder bag."

"Thanks, Mr.Bartoul!" Klonoa said, grinning. He put the brown and golden bag over his shoulder and hastily opened it. A silver-colored rock-like item and two folded sails were indeed resting inside, confirming that his mission was complete. He handed over the Quartz that Lilyacoo had given him and walked down the stairs, waving towards the old bear.

"Be careful on the road." Bartoul told him. "I know you can defend yourself pretty well, but you still messed with some Combat Clan members. They might get back at ya for it. The Pistol and Beast Clans are especially keen on revenge."

Klonoa sighed. "You make it sound like they're bad guys." he said bitterly. "But… I thought they were supposed to protect the people of Pugiland."

"They are." Bartoul confirmed. "And they do. When they don't spend their time beating each other up – and trust me, they don't need your help for that, kiddo. Especially with the event coming back our way."

Klonoa raised an eyebrow. "The… event?"

"Yeah. The event. Some kind of tournament organized by the Combat Clans. All of their members are welcome to participate, and the winning Clan gets a prize, plus some sort of domination over the others. That's the only way they found to keep the peace together."

"So you mean that if a peaceful Clan wins, the others won't have a choice but to respect it?" Klonoa completed, hopeful.

"Uh, yeah, pretty much." Bartoul confirmed. "But… Well, the most justice-driven Clan we have so far is the Fist Clan, but the most influential Clans are the Blade and Glyph ones. And neither of these are super peaceful."

A little smile began to grow on Klonoa's face. "Hmm. And uh, do you know if any of these Clans would have something against a last minute recruit?"

Bartoul unleashed a loud laughter. "Man, you are something special, Kiddo!" he exclaimed. "Comes to my shop, beats up two Combat Clan idiots, and now he wants to join one of 'em! Sorry though, I have no idea if they're recruiting or not. You'll have to visit their personal isles yourself and ask around."

" _Wahoo_! I promise I will! See you next time, !" with that, Klonoa went on his way. A serious expression made its way on his face when he glanced at his Wind Ring. "So, Hewpoe. What was that about this Lunshyr person not supposed to be… alive anymore?"

In a flash of light, Hewpoe came out of the Wind Ring. He was looking all around him, but nobody was paying true attention to the duo anymore.

"It's a bit of a long story." Hewpoe reluctantly began. "Sorry, I know it looks I'm… overreacting a bit, but I just want to be careful. So, um... According to what Mother told me, a long time ago, Phantomile was guided by the Five Spirits, who were in charge of the well-being of the inhabitants of Phantomile. And among these Spirits… was Ghadius, the Dark King."

Klonoa rolled his eyes. "Well with a title like that, I don't think anyone would want to trust him. No wonder we had to fight him ourselves after whatever happened!"

"I see your point, but… that's the thing: he wasn't actually… evil, at first." Hewpoe continued. "He was given this title because he represented nightmares and darkness, and people didn't want to acknowledge this. For them, it was just something bad that needed to go away. And since he represented nightmares and darkness himself, they thought _he_ was bad, and wanted _him_ to go away."

"...Oh. Is that why…?"

"Yeah. Or at least, Mother thinks it's one of the reasons for his wrongdoings. Anyway, as you probably heard, my home, Cress, absorbs dream energy, and that energy's made up of people's forgotten dreams. When people started to get more and more suspicious of Ghadius, one of them decided that we should prepare an army in case of a possible attack from him. And that person was Lunshyr, a highly-ranked soldier of that time."

Klonoa raised his eyebrows. "Oh, wow!" he exclaimed. "So she's like an ancient? You made it sound like you knew her personally!"

"Well, she's kind of a like a historical figure of our Kingdom." Hewpoe replied. "But people don't like to talk about her. Apparently, it's because she was too… passionate about trying to defend our Kingdom. When she said she wanted us to have a functional army, she truly meant it. She even wanted to train the soldiers in manipulating dream energy for military training, claiming that they'd become the strongest force of Phantomile to make sure they could protect everyone, even if it meant marching in the other Kingdoms to make sure they were okay."

"Oh. Well, that doesn't sound too bad!" Klonoa said. Well… Maybe a bit bossy though. Really wouldn't like her visiting my house everyday to make sure I'm okay."

"That's pretty much what everyone thought." Hewpoe agreed. "Sure, our army was growing stronger thanks to her methods, and our people looked up to her. But some felt like it was the beginning of a plan to rule over the other Kingdoms. And Lunshyr didn't even have time to begin whatever she wanted to do, because Ghadius _did_ end up attacking. His target was the Light Spirit, which Lunshyr and her followers were determined to protect until the other spirits arrived to confront Ghadius."

"So she and the Light Spirit fought Ghadius on their own?"

Hewpoe shook his head. "Worse." he whispered. "The Light Spirit had already gone through a tiring battle against Ghadius, and lost. Lunshyr and her followers were alone against him, and they were trying to buy time for the other Spirits to arrive."

Klonoa fell silent as he walked, trying to imagine the terrifying scene. If Ghadius could defeat a godly protector of Phantomile, there was a good chance that he was much more powerful than when Klonoa faced him. And Lunshyr had decided to face him by herself…?

"So… What happened to her?" Klonoa inquired. "I guess it didn't really end well, since she's not supposed to be alive anymore."

"Ghadius… Ghadius tore apart her physical body." Hewpoe revealed bitterly. "Mother showed me… remnants of Lunshyr's memorial dreams. It… It really looked more like a nightmare to me. A-Anyway, Mother didn't go into much detail after that, but apparently, the Light Spirit felt really guilty about Lunshyr's fate, so it used its power to revive her as a spiritual entity. Lunshyr was never seen or heard from ever again, and she was almost completely forgotten. But a recent drop in dream energy shows that some people in Cress are using dream energy for their own personal gain."

"And that's related to Lunshyr too, right?" Klonoa deduced.

"Yeah." Hewpoe said, nodding. "Mother thinks that Lunshyr's followers have been feeding her dream energy ever since she became a spirit, and from different parts of Phantomile or faraway lands – though she's not sure how that's possible. But that's why she's been sending some people to try and find her or one of her followers. And… well… Lilyacoo said that her 'guardian' was named Lunshyr. This means Lunshyr is still active, and that her followers aren't exclusively from Cress."

Klonoa stopped his walk. "So… Are we supposed to ask Lilyacoo where is Lunshyr exactly?"

"N-No!" Hewpoe quickly replied, shaking his head. "No. We just need to keep an eye on her! We don't know how Lunshyr might react. Her followers have been trying to keep her hidden, so I don't think she's be happy to discover that I'm looking for her. I _am_ the prince of the Kingdom she's been hiding from this entire time, after all."

Klonoa nodded. "Okay. So we just keep an eye on Lilyacoo?"

"Don't worry about a thing, Klonoa." Hewpoe assured, smiling. "This is my mission. I just need to check if Lilyacoo's in direct communication with Lunshyr, or if she's in contact with other followers – and if so, figure out what Lunshyr wants to do. And to make sure of that, I… I have a plan."

Klonoa nodded once more a d flashed a thumbs up. "I'm all ears, Hewpoe!"

* * *

Lilyacoo's ears rose above her head. She opened her eyes, woken by the sound of falling rocks on the floor of her shed. Fully awake, she immediately touched her necklace and jumped out of the bed, claws ready to tear down whoever had intruded her lair to shreds. But to her surprise, it was just Klonoa, who had dropped the Silverwood Ore she needed to complete her ship. Next to it rested three folded sails.

"Oh my gosh, you… You actually did it." Lilyacoo said, overjoyed by what she saw. "I mean.. Thanks, y'know, I'm really glad you did this for me!"

"Hey, that's what friends are for!" Klonoa exclaimed, grinning. "I told you I'd help you."

Lilyacoo took the Silverwood Ore and passed the folded sails over her shoulders. She was beaming with energy. "Lemme show you something _really_ cool!" she exclaimed before walking towards the uncovered ship. With Klonoa right behind, Lilyacoo stood in front of the Coo-Hatch, one hand pointing in its direction, the other brushing over her necklace.

" _Hear my command, O Guide of a higher plane!_ " Lilyacoo intoned. " _Send these materials to your inner sanctuary, and let them become part of your glorious shape. With them, you shall finally sail, free from the torment of this meager realm!_ "

The Coo-Hatch's prow opened widely. A vortex of golden light appeared inside, awaiting to absorb its materials. Lilyacoo quickly flung them inside, and the wooden doors closed once more. Then, the entire ship was bathed in a surreal light, so bright that Lilyacoo was forced to run to the side of the shed and hide the Coo-Hatch behind the giant curtain she used to conceal her creation.

"Sorry for that!" Lilyacoo said to Klonoa, giggling. "It's always like that when it changes its shape. "Don't worry though! When the change is complete, it'll be ready to leave through the big canal behind my house. And when that happens, I'll be finally ready to go!"

Klonoa smiled. Since they had met at the Emerlight Forest, it was the first time she had ever shown such excitement. In a sudden flash of light, Hewpoe came out of Klonoa's Wind Ring, gazing at the duo. "Looks like Lilyacoo's mood is contagious!" he exclaimed. "Well that's perfect, because after your ship changes form, you'll have to accept one more material for it!"

Lilyacoo rolled her eyes. "What, did Gramps want to add somethin' in the mix? That stupid bear… He always gets annoying when he wants to make sure I'm okay..."

"That's not what Hewpoe meant." Klonoa assured. "He was talking about himself."

Lilyacoo's smile disappeared and her eyes widened. "...Wait. _What_?"

"You heard him!" Hewpoe confirmed happily. "And no need to ask me again, Klonoa, my answer's still the same!"

"But you don't know what's in there..." the latter insisted. "You might get hurt."

"Do you have _any_ idea how many times _you_ got hurt for me?" Hewpoe countered, locking his gaze on Klonoa's. "You're the one doing the fighting all the time! It's not a problem if I help more than usual from time to time, right?"

Klonoa frowned. "But… Last time you did that, you..."

"It's not the same." Hewpoe interrupted. "There's no Nahatomb to put down, and no legendary Kingdom to save. We're talking about me becoming a giant ship's personal navigator. I'll only get in danger if the ship itself does, and have you seen its size? Come on, I'm sure Lilyacoo made it so you and her would get more in danger than the ship itself!"

Lilyacoo followed the exchange in silence, realizing that the pair had certainly shared much more adventures that she ever did. "Um, guys?" she asked carefully. "What… What is this all about? Klonoa, why does your friend want to get inside the Coo-Hatch?"

"Because we're coming with you, if you don't mind." Klonoa declared, gazing back at Lilyacoo. "And apparently, Hewpoe would be able to help us a lot if he works with the Coo-Hatch."

Lilyacoo was utterly agape. "...Why?" she asked him, almost shouting. "Why? Why, why, _why_? Seriously! I… Look, I don't _mind_ you guys coming with me, okay, you're not a bother to me or anything, but don't you think you've had enough? You helped a random stranger fight a giant snake in a random forest, helped that stranger buy some random stuff she wanted, and now you want to accompany her in a random trip around the world? Without asking for anything in return, without taking her Quartz as payment, or… or… I mean who _does_ that?! And… Why?!"

The surreal light behind them died down as a serious expression appeared on Klonoa's face. The cold breeze always present in Lilyacoo's house intensified, making Klonoa's oversized ears float like gentle scarves next to each side of his face.

"I don't know." Klonoa declared gravely. "Despite what I'm told and asked to do, I don't really know why I help people, why I stop bad guys or why I try to be some kind of hero. I don't even know why I find myself in so many different places all the time. But... even though I don't know why..." a tender smile grew on Klonoa's face as he continued. "...I _want_ to. I want to help you, because you're trying to find a place to fit in. I want to help Pugiland, because the Combat Clans are doing bad things to the place they're supposed to protect. And I want to join one of the Combat Clans, because if I do and win the tournament they're organizing, I might just be able to help everyone." Klonoa giggled and put a hand behind his head, slightly embarrassed. "I guess I'm a weirdo!" he exclaimed. "I just wanna see people smile and be happy all the time. It kinda makes me feel good."

Lilyacoo stared at Klonoa. She couldn't help but feel utterly powerless against his resolve. She began walking in circles, trying her best to avoid looking at his courageous eyes again. "Yeah. Yeah, you're a total weirdo!" she yelled. "But I don't care, you hear me? I don't care if you get in danger, and I don't care if you get beat up! The Coo-Hatch is _my_ ship, so _I'm_ the captain here! You follow my orders, and if I want to run away 'cause me or the ship's in danger, you either follow me or stay wherever you are and get in your stupid hero business alone! Got that?"

"So that means we _can_ come!" Klonoa exclaimed. Lilyacoo stopped walking in circles and let out a sigh.

"Yeah." she confirmed. "Yeah, you can come. I told you I didn't mind, right? I just… I just wanna find my own place and be done with it."

"You don't have to run head straight into danger!" Klonoa assured. "That's my job. You can stay at the ship if you want. And besides, what kind of safe place would you think you'd find if the Beast Clan won the tournament and dominated Pugiland itself?" Klonoa added. "I just want this place to be as peaceful as possible, Lilyacoo. I'm sick of seeing people getting hurt because of jerks like them."

"...Okay, that's a good point. Oh, and uh… We're friends, right? Well the few friends I have call me Coo. So call me that, and I'll be happy. C'mon, get ready, you and Hewpoe. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

" _Wahoo_!" Klonoa exclaimed, flashing a thumbs up. ""As you command, Captain Coo!"

Lilyacoo turned back, pointing an accusing finger at Klonoa. "Now you're pushing it!" she exclaimed, grinning despite herself. She pulled the curtain away, and they could both contempate the change: metallic fortifications had been added at the prow of the ship and near its rudder. In addition, the rock-like mast had been replaced by an actual, wooden mast, with its sails proudly displaying Lilyacoo's emblem: a winged sphere held by a clawed hand. touched her pendant with her finger and jumped, landing on top of the Coo-Hatch. Lilyacoo walked towards the edge of her ship and posed a hand on it, focusing. Down below, Klonoa witnessed the ship's prow open once again.

"Ready, Hewpoe?" Klonoa asked his friend. "We're going on a brand new journey and we've got lots of things to learn!"

"I'll be just fine!" Hewpoe assured before entering the vortex as Klonoa threw the sails and metal ore inside. "See you in a few!" Hewpoe winked at his friend as the doors of the Coo-Hatch closed. At this moment, Lilyacoo jumped down from her spot to reach Klonoa's side once more.

"Your captain says," she began, a mischievous smirk on the face, "you're a slowpoke, and I want everybody on the bridge right _now_ , darn it!" with that said, she touched her necklace, lifted Klonoa in her arms and before he could say anything, performed an amazing jump and landed on the ship's bridge. She let Klonoa fall on the ground and looked down on him, hands on the hips.

"Get up and help get everythin' ready, maggot!" Lilyacoo continued. "I want _everyone_ , every single idiot of Parry Town to witness our glorious getaway towards the unknown, ya hear?!"

"...Wow." Klonoa whispered. "That whole captain thing is already getting to her head."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing!" Klonoa shouted, rising up. "Nothing aside me happily accepting your orders, Coo! Let's begin this adventure!"

 **Vision 1-4: Clear!**


	5. Vision 2-1

**Vision 2-1: Challenges of the past and present**

A gentle sun was still vigorously shinning above the inhabitants of Parry Town when the unlikely event occurred, taking everybody by surprise. It all started with a simple cry.

"Open the gates!"

The order resounded through the narrow streets of one of the poorer villages of Parry Town. Since it had come from the _Witch's Lair_ , as the people there had come to nickname the isolated, oversized shed at the end of the road. Nobody really paid attention to it, for everyone knew that their curiously dressed neighbor was always up to strange activities that none understood. But when the humongous door of her shed opened, people came running from every corner of the village and even from beyond it just to witness what would later be referred to as " _The Departure of the Ark_ " with their own eyes.

"Cast off the moorings!"

Completely awestruck, the villagers witnessed a gigantic ship pass through the gates of the girl's shed. The ship was entirely made out of wood, with long metallic parts strengthening the rudder and prow. The sails of the mast proudly displayed a peculiar emblem, which looked like a winged sphere held by a clawed hand.

"Navigator!" the voice continued. "Take the wheel and guide us through the canal! I wanna make sure our little baby can enjoy its first ride properly!"

"Aye, Captain!" A second voice immediately shouted back.

Still agape, the increasing number of spectators around the village took several steps back as the ship slowly advanced. A strange child was piloting it, dressed in an odd, bulky-looking sky blue suit. His big, shiny blue eyes were focused on the road ahead, and he paid no attention to the crowd far below his feet.

"Captain!" another lively voice intervened, coming from the giant ship. "I can see a chunk of the waterfall! Shouldn't we immediately go there?"

Like one man, the spectators gazed up, just in time to witness a dark blue and white cat-like child fall down from the top of the mast all the way down to the deck, without visible effort. He brushed dust away from his blue attire and cap before closing his eyes and smiling as he enjoyed a light breeze toying around with his long ears.

"Negative!" the first voice answered. "We _do_ need to finish this test run, first. That, and…"

The crowd took several more steps back as a well-known figure appeared before their eyes, a confident red boot stomping on the ship's rail. An emerald green-furred rabbit girl stared down at the assembly below, her signature, wing-shaped blue cloak floating behind her like an angry snake.

"…I just wanna make sure _they_ get to see this, and _I_ get to see their faces one last time." she concluded, grinning down at the crowd. "Heard that, people?" Lilyacoo exclaimed in a sarcastic tone. "Last time you insult me, last time you make fun of everything I do, and _last_ freakin' time that stupid paranoia of yours gets in my way!"

Lilyacoo removed her foot from the ship rail and widely opened her arms. " _THIS_ was what I was working on all these years!" she continued. "My pride and my soul: the _Coo-Hatch_! Thanks to it, I'm going to find a real life for myself, away from everything you jerks did to me! It had nothing to do with evil plots, it had nothing to do with evil spirits, I wasn't trying to do anything wrong to anybody, and I'm not a witch! My name is Lilyacoo, and I didn't ask for the power I have! Be sure to remember that while you keep rotting in this forsaken place! Sayonara, _morons_!" with that said, Lilyacoo turned back and let out a sigh. Then suddenly, she blenched, feeling that a slimy substance had hit her long rabbit ears. She put a hand to her back: a squashed tomato was resting on her hand. She didn't need to turn back again to hear the irritating giggle of a child running away.

"Coo…" Klonoa whispered as he approached a comforting hand towards her. He immediately fell back when Lilyacoo raised her head. Her entire body was shaking with frustration. Klonoa had never seen such hatred on her face before. Lilyacoo let out a long, guttural grunt before rapidly walking to her cabin and shutting the door. "I'll be right back." she whispered from the other side.

* * *

"Hewpoe?" Klonoa asked carefully as he walked towards the ship's wheel. "Got anything about you know who?"

Hewpoe shook his head. "No. And I don't think Lilyacoo would be communicating with Lunshyr. She's just… um… trying to cheer up." he added, visibly hesitant.

Klonoa frowned. "Wait. You can _see_ what she's doing from here?"

Hewpoe jumped on the occasion to change subjects. "Yeah!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Coo-Hatch and I are in symbiosis, so he can borrow my power when needed, and I can borrow his. I'm a part of Coo-Hatch, so I can sense whatever is happening to him. It's… kind of weird, but I'm getting used to it, and..." He interrupted himself, slightly turning his head towards Lilyacoo's personal cabin. A second later, the door opened, and Lilyacoo's face shyly appeared as it did. "Okay, I'm good." she assured in an unusually low voice. "Did I miss anything?"

Klonoa couldn't help but stare. Lilyacoo seemed… strangely tired. "Oh, uh, no, you didn't miss much!" he exclaimed after a short silence. Then he grinned, remembering something. "In fact, I think you woke up at a perfect time! Look!" he pointed over the Coo-Hatch's side.

"Wasn't sleeping, y'know." she commented as she reached for his side, scanning the area they were slowly passing by. The canal had brought them near the tall and colorful buildings of Parry Town's isolated urban center, where Klonoa had previously set his foot in.

"Hey, we can even see 's tavern over there!" Klonoa exclaimed. "I hope you won't miss him too much."

"Nah. I'll be fine, and Gramps will be, too. And speak of the devil..." Lilyacoo continued, smiling at a tall figure trying to follow the direction of the boat. The gathering crowd of bystanders separated as Bartoul Silverback took giant strides to reach for the Coo-Hatch, gazing at every corner of the ship with a critical eye. With the ship's slow but steady pace, he had no problem doing so on foot.

"So that's your ark, huh." were Bartoul's first words. "Didn't realize it was that big."

"Told ya I'd finish it, old fart!" Lilyacoo shouted back, letting a prideful grin grow on her face. "And after this test run, a few adjustments here and there and I'll be ready to explore the world!"

Bartoul grinned as well. "Don't get too cocky, twerp. And I'm pretty darn sure you were supposed to do it alone. What made you change that part of your mind?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Lilyacoo pointed at Klonoa. "This guy's a bodyguard who only wants exploration as payment. So, y'know, that works for me."

"Fair enough." Bartoul commented, shrugging. He then raised his hand, locking his gaze into Lilyacoo's. "Bye then, Coo. I'll miss ya, ya stubborn wench."

"Likewise, _Silverback_."

Bartoul let out a happy laughter. "Find the grave of the idiot who named me that and kick it for me, aye?"

"Aye, aye!"

Bartoul nodded to himself and left just as nonchalantly as he came, joining the crowd again only to reach his tavern. Lilyacoo followed him with the eyes, a nostalgic smile on the face.

"Mm. Working with him was hard, y'know." she admitted, gazing at Klonoa. "But it was worth it."

Klonoa nodded. "Hey, you know what?" he continued. "Someone told me about a carnival event called _Daii's Challenge_. Apparently he's a famous fighter of Pugiland, so I thought I could ask him for some directions. Since, well, I kinda want to join one of the Combat Clans, but I don't know which one yet."

"…Huh. Okay. And… You're telling me this because…?"

"Well, because we're almost finished with the Coo-Hatch's test run, right? I just wanna stop by Daii's Challenge and see if I can talk to him. So if you've got any last minute thing you want to do in the meantime, go ahead!"

Lilyacoo closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "...I know you told me you couldn't help… These things you're doing." she began slowly. "I know that you… like to help people and all, but… Well it's weird to me, so I don't think I'll get used to you anytime soon. Sorry for that. And thank you." Lilyacoo opened her eyes and pointed at a group of isolated metallic tent surrounding a circle of benches. It seemed to sit right inside of some sort of open field, and a large amount of people were gathered in front of it.

"Just go there and register." Lilyacoo concluded. "The only way you can talk to Daii is by fighting him. I've tried my luck before, so, I can tell."

"Oh, really?" Klonoa inquired. "How did it go?"

Lilyacoo let out a chuckle. "All I'm gonna say is that you can start sweating when _he's_ getting tired." she exclaimed. "'Cause that's when _he_ starts kicking everyone's butt!"

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Klonoa assured, getting ready to leave his friends.

"Klonoa, wait!" Hewpoe suddenly intervened. He approached his friend, slightly concerned. "Um… I can't exactly leave the ship to go back in the Wind Ring for now." he revealed bitterly. "So I guess you'll have to fight using only yourself as a power source. I… I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Hewpoe!" Klonoa exclaimed. "It's not the first time I'd be fighting without you. I don't always remember my adventures, but trust me, I know I gained other abilities in them. I'll just have to use them against Daii!" after flashing a confident thumbs up, Klonoa jumped from the Coo-Hatch and directed himself towards the group of tents Lilyacoo had shown him, ignoring the various looks that were following him on the way. He gave his name to the person waiting in front of one of the tents and, after several seconds, was invited to enter. A bunch of people dressed in thick-looking armors or fancy-looking robes were already inside, sitting on benches slightly bathed in the rare rays of light that filtered through the holes of the tent. The atmosphere was tense and dark, but Klonoa felt more excited than anxious. It wasn't the first time he had been in a competition, after all.

"Attention fighters!" a voice called in the distance. "The dices shall arrive shortly. Once they do, make sure you roll them carefully on the ground. The one with the highest number shall be the next to do battle with Master Daii. Good luck."

Mere seconds after the voice stopped speaking, colored dices appeared in the hand of every fighter present inside of the dark tent – eight in total. Klonoa was slightly intrigued, as his dice had twenty facets instead of the traditional six. But seeing as everyone threw their dices, Klonoa did the same, hoping to get the best number.

"…One." someone announced bitterly before sitting back on one of the benches.

"Six."

"Four."

"Fourteen."

"Fourteen, too."

"Nine."

"Twelve."

Klonoa gazed at everyone before looking at his own dice. A radiant smile appeared on his face. "Sixteen!" he exclaimed. " _Wahoo_! It's already my turn!"

Several mumbles and rants assaulted the air, before someone finally shrugged and sat comfortably on the bench.

"Well I guess it's fine." A tall man hidden in a large hood said. "We're only the second wave, and he's the first one to go against Daii. That means we'll have plenty of time to tire him out later."

That seemed to calm down the other fighters, but Klonoa had already left the tent anyway, following the calm steps of a wolf man dressed in a dark green Gi. Without a word, he opened yet another door for Klonoa and urged in to enter. Slightly blinded by the light and the sudden clamor of dozens of people, Klonoa entered in the improvised arena. His eyes were immediately attracted to the single figure sitting in the center of the paved ground, dressed in a pure white Gi attached with a golden belt.

"So you're the first one of the second wave." were Daii's first words. He rose from the ground, oblivious to the cheering of the crowd around him. He turned back, and Klonoa realized that he was a muscular, anthropomorphic reptile with light brown, sunburned like scales. He was barefooted, and didn't have the massive tail that many reptilian creatures Klonoa had met before usually had.

"I don't need to know your name or your identity." Daii continued, not even bothering to open his eyes. But I can tell that you've got potential. Hopefully, you'll be able to keep your head in the game, unlike the eight others that failed before you today." Daii finally opened his peculiar, reptilian blue eyes, silently scanning Klonoa. "Ready?"

" _Wahoo_! I'm ready, !" Klonoa exclaimed. He pulled out his Wind Ring as its jewel shone. A green blade of light appeared from it and Klonoa bent his knees, preparing himself for the battle to come. To his surprise, Daii began walking in his direction, his arms placed in a boxing stance.

 _He fights without using weapons._ Klonoa thought to himself. _I should be careful about this._  
He jumped in the air and swung his Wind Sword. The magical blade fell like an unavoidable whip. Yet, taking another battle stance, Daii suddenly stopped moving as some sort of blue aura swiftly appeared around his body, forcefully casting Klonoa's blade away. Though surprised, Klonoa landed on the ground and attempted another slash, but Daii simply sidestepped, effortlessly dodging the move. Then, he quickly dashed forward and raised his leg. Klonoa took off from the ground, feeling like a painful rocket had suddenly grown from his chin and was compelling him to reach for the sky. The feeling soon disappeared when he came back down, but before the impact with the ground, Daii threw a vicious punch at him, sending him flying in the dust of the arena.

" _Maggya_ …!" Klonoa groaned, trying his best to endure the pain. As the crowd cheered for their champion, Klonoa rose up, tottering. Daii was once again walking towards him, fists ready to jab.

This was bad. Klonoa had fought through hordes of enemies, many of which being far more powerful than he was. But usually, he would be able to find a weak point, a battle strategy to rely on, and win by slowly yet carefully approaching danger.

 _But this guy… I don't see any weak point at all._ Klonoa admitted to himself, slightly concerned. _I need to hit him hard, too! Then I'll see what his weakness is..._  
With that in mind, Klonoa let his Wind Sword disappear and turn into a large boomerang with three blades. He hurled it at his foe, but Daii once again let a light blue aura engulf him as he stroke a fighting pose, thus deflecting the attack. Expecting this to happen, Klonoa ran towards his opponent, caught his boomerang in mid-air and turned it into a circular beam of light – his Beam Gnome. Frowning, Daii turned around to perform a forward-stepping side kick. But before he could finish the movement, Klonoa leaped forward, with his Beam Gnome acting as an attacking shield. It blocked Daii's assault and allowed Klonoa to finally land a hit on him. Daii immediately side-stepped to avoid falling backwards, but once again, Klonoa had expected the movement. His Beam Gnome disappeared and turned into a hammer, which he swung on the side, swiping his opponent in the process. Daii still managed to cross his arms in front of his chest, thus intercepting the move – it proved too powerful for him however, as he was sent flying on the sand of the arena.

"Let's do this!" Klonoa shouted as his Wind Blade reappeared. He slightly bent his knees and adopted a reverse grip. " _Thunder Hurricane_!"

Klonoa began spinning around as an unnatural wind appeared all around him. Suddenly, several bolts of lighting sparked around him, taking Daii by surprise. Though Daii managed to dodge a few, he was ultimately overcome by the sheer amount of electric power Klonoa had unleashed as several bolts struck him. The audience was speechless, but Klonoa was too focused on the battle to care. Though he was panting, he still had enough stamina left in him to press on. So, he summoned his Beam Gnome again and performed a dashing tackle, reaching for Daii's side as fast as he could. Daii was once again taken by surprise, as he had still not recovered from the previous attack.

" _Wahoo_!" Klonoa exclaimed before slashing Daii with his Wind Sword. The martial artist seemed to endure the hits well, but before he could counter-attack, Klonoa turned his weapon into a hammer again to offer another gift of flight to his opponent. Daii hit the ground once more, and this time, it seemed as though he was having more difficulties getting up.

 _It's working!_ Klonoa thought to himself, confident. _I just need to keep countering him like this, and I'll be fine!_ Still very careful, he walked towards his opponent, preparing to switch weapons in case he tried anything. Daii finally rose up and looked at Klonoa. Beat up, tired, but definitely smiling.

It was at this moment that Klonoa remembered Lilyacoo's warning.

* * *

"Welcome back, Captain!" Hewpoe joyfully greeted Lilyacoo as she jumped on the Coo-Hatch's deck with her usual ease. "Coo-Hatch and I are happy to have you back! So, did you finish doing… whatever you had to do?"

Lilyacoo was showing off her most angelic smile yet. "Yeah, I did." she said, nostalgia stuck in her tone. "I didn't think there were anything I'd miss from this rotten place, y'know, but I swear, that old bear better meet me again someday, one way or another. He's definitely..." Lilyacoo suddenly frowned, realizing what Hewpoe had told her. "...Wait. ' _Coo-Hatch_ and I?'" she repeated, incredulous. "So… he's a being of his own? He… he talks?"

"Well, you infused this ship of yours with your… unnatural ability for almost an entire year, after completing its design. Besides..." Hewpoe hesitated to continue. "Your... guide's influence gives it a will of its own."

"Ah, so it's Lunshyr's doing." Lilyacoo said, strangely relieved. "Yeah, okay, then it's normal. Her magic's a bit special, as far as I've seen. Y'know, with her being a spirit and all."

"R-Right!" Hewpoe nodded. "Lunshyr's doing."

There was a short silence. Hewpoe _really_ wanted to learn more about what Lilyacoo knew of Lunshyr, but he felt like talking about it would be highly suspicious – that and Lunshyr could hear it in some way, as her influence affected Coo-Hatch.

"So, Lilyacoo..." Hewpoe asked instead, still hesitant. "Can I… ask you something?"

"Uh, sure!" she conceded. "You don't need to make a big deal out of it, y'know. I know I'm your captain and all, but you're my friend too."

Hewpoe nodded. That would make things easier. "Thank you. So, um… I was just wondering why you kept saying that Klonoa was weird because he wanted to help people. And to help you, too."

Lilyacoo let out a sigh. "Shame." she spat bitterly. "And there I was back to my good mood, too. Oh well. Can't be helped." she closed her eyes. "So you find normal that he wants to help me all the time? Despite us having met only a week ago?"

"Yes." Hewpoe assured. "And not just because I've known him for a long time. I would do the same thing in his place, and I know quite a few people who would, too!"

"Well here's the thing." Lilyacoo said with a cynical smile. She glared at Hewpoe before continuing. "I _don't_. Before you and Klonoa, I had never, ever, ever met anyone who would help me or anyone else for free, unless they were acquaintances – and even then, it was rare. That's just how it works in some the poorer corners of Parry Town." Lilyacoo walked towards her ship's rail and sat on it, looking into the distance.

"Technically, I've always been alone." she revealed, melancholic. "Because I'm a… weird, green bunny thing nobody ever saw before. I don't know if I have a family, since y'know, my oldest memory was of me hiding in my… home, if you can call it that, to escape some bullies. I stayed in there all night, it was super cold, but nobody ever bothered me when I was inside, since it was supposed to be haunted and all." Lilyacoo smiled. "Which it kinda was, since I met my Guide in that shed. She's not really a friend or anything, she just gave me a bit of knowledge, just enough to survive on my own. Which I've been doing with my ability, and some food and water I'd find in Emerlight Forest." Lilyacoo sighed again. "Days were long, and nights were awful. Hunting in Emerlight Forest was hard, I didn't master my powers yet, people called me freak and constantly tried to steal my stuff, and I… I got beat up a lot. For no reason. I barely had time to rest that I discovered my beds destroyed, so I had to repair them and sleep, but I… sometimes it was just too cold and… and..." painful tears had begun streaming down from Lilyacoo's face halfway through her speech, but she didn't mind. She was used to them. Hewpoe's compassionate gaze and shocked expression was not something she was used to, however, so she did her best to ignore him and continue with her life's story.

"...And I couldn't sleep sometimes." Lilyacoo continued. "I saw all these kids with their stupid toys and stuff, and since… Y'know, I needed something to calm down, I tried to sneak into the richer parts of Parry Town. Used my ability to steal a few things, made my cape and boots to give myself a look or somethin', and then… Hah! Then I made the mistake to try and steal from Bartoul Silverback. Wow, that… That was easily the worst beating of my life. But at least that old fart taught me how to defend myself a bit better, and then we started trading some stuff. He wanted me to help him in his shop, while gave me food, protection, and a free pass in every corner of Parry Town. It's by exploring the place that I discovered that nobody ever helped anyone without a material prize in return.

"That's why I started collecting toys and material stuff in the first place, y'know. I thought they meant a lot to people, so obviously, if I collected a few, maybe I could trade them with people and finally get some peace. But nobody ever traded anything with me. Because of my clothing, my fur and my unusual ability – not to mention my hunting habits in Emerlight Forest – people were convinced I was a devil, or a witch, and they actually attacked me even more after I tried setting up a trading business." a dangerously heinous frown darkened Lilyacoo's face. "That's when I decided that I had enough of that life. So I went back to Gramps' place and started working for him even more than before. He taught me the basics about carpentry, Lunshyr gave me the knowledge I was missing, and I began workin' on Coo-Hatch, which I worked on for the rest of my childhood up until now. Then you guys showed up in Emerlight one day, and you know the rest." Lilyacoo let out a final sigh and rose up, not at all worried by the tears drying up on the white part of her face's fur.

"So there you go." Lilyacoo concluded. "That's why I think Klonoa's kindness thingy is weird. I can't buy it, because that's not how people are here, and my life is… Well I hate it. I wish I could burn everything and everyone and then sleep for a long, long time. But I can't. So I'm leaving instead. I just want people to leave me alone, y'know? Maybe find where I come from, or just travel, I don't know, but just… Let me live the way I want, darn it! I'm sick of being treated like some kind of demon. I really _hate_ it."

Hewpoe nodded. He realized that there was probably nothing he could say or do that would truly ease Lilyacoo's pain or change her mind – and he had to admit that she had valid reasons not to trust the people around her. But Hewpoe was good at distracting people. "And you hate it so much that you couldn't help but tear open the walls of Coo-Hatch in your cabin, right?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

Lilyacoo's eyes widened. "How the heck d'you…! These walls are soundproof!"

Hewpoe winked at her. "They are! But Coo-Hatch feels the claws rustling against his wood. And I'm connected to him, remember?"

"...Oh. Right. Semi-sentient ship." Lilyacoo recalled bitterly. "Y'know, be careful with that ability of yours, 'cause by the end of this trip, I might just throw you overboard for MAJOR stalker issues."

Hewpoe giggled. "Don't worry, Captain. Coo-Hatch only allows me to see what he sees when he's in danger or if I had a truly valid reason. And spying on you is _not_ one of them!"

"Good." Lilyacoo exclaimed, grinning. "Now that _that's_ settled, I guess we just need to wait for the other maggot to show up and we'll be ready to go. 'Sides, I'm getting sick of that crowd looking at us down there." Lilyacoo looked down at the spectators that were indeed still gazing at her ship. It was by doing so that she witnessed a familiar figure walking towards the Coo-Hatch at an unusually slow pace: it was Klonoa. Frowning, Lilyacoo realized that he was _struggling_ to even walk straight, but had a shiny smile on his face. She immediately leaped forward, scaring the crowd under her feet, that ran away to let her fall. She dashed towards Klonoa.

"Hey!" Lilyacoo exclaimed anxiously, seeing that her friend had taken quite a beating, his damaged fur and clothes full of bruises, sand and dust combined. "Stupid question, but are you alright? 'Cause from here it looked like you got your butt kicked."

Klonoa flashed a shaking thumbs up. "I lost!" Klonoa confirmed. "But Daii gave me the directions I wanted. We're going to the Blade Combat Clan's isle first!"

Lilyacoo nodded, still worried. "So… How did it go? D'you need me to–"

Before she could finish, Klonoa fell forward. She caught him in her arms before he hit the ground, thanking her reflexes while silently cursing Klonoa for making such a scene in front of so many people. She heard a small giggle in her ear.

"It was _awesome_ , Captain Coo...!" he exclaimed with a mischievous grin.

With that said, Klonoa lost consciousness.

 **Vision 2-1: Clear!**


	6. Vision 2-2

****Vision 2-2: Hoist the colors of adventure!****

Klonoa was woken up by violent tremors all around him. He opened his eyes and sat on what appeared to be a bed. Looking around, he realized that he was sleeping in a wooden cabin. He instantly recognized it: it was the second, much more spacious cabin of the ship, the one he, Lilyacoo and Hewpoe had built in addition to the first one (thanks to the Coo-Hatch's power, it had been over in a single afternoon). After all, Lilyacoo hadn't planned for any other cabin than her own, since she wanted to go on her journey alone.  
The entire place began to sway, which made Klonoa realize that he was indeed back inside the Coo-Hatch. Snatching the Wind Ring that was right next to him, Klonoa jumped form the bed and slammed open the door.

"What's happening?" Klonoa shouted over the sound of rushing waves.

"See?!" Lilyacoo exclaimed, gazing at Hewpoe. "I __told__ you that would wake him up! Now focus on your wheel, twerp!"

"A-Aye, Captain!"

"Hewpoe! Coo! What's going on?!"

Lilyacoo looked at Klonoa, a mischievous smile on the face. She opened her arms in a dramatic movement. "Adventure, maggot!" she declared. "Adventure is going on, and it's time for you to welcome it with open arms!" Lilyacoo pointed in the distance. Klonoa's eyes opened as he stared into distance, agape.

Before his astounded eyes appeared a gigantic waterfall, the very same one he had seen from Emerlight Forest a few days ago along with Parry Town's various ports. But it was a vision from afar: nothing like the unstoppable force he could see and feel assaulting his senses. Several ships around the Coo-Hatch were riding the fast waves as well, their bows proudly pointing towards the hot red sunrise they could all witness.

Lilyacoo suddenly turned back and raised her hand. A spear-sized spike materialized and hit the wall next to Klonoa's cabin.

"Hold onto this." Lilyacoo warned. "The best part is coming."

"What about you?" Klonoa inquired while following her advice. "Aren't you gonna just fall off when we ride down the waterfall?"

She glanced at him, an excited grin stuck on the face. "I've got four powers equipped right now, and I only ever showed you three if we include this one. So worry about yourself over anything else, savvy? I may be weaker than you, but I'm used to survive on my own."

Blocking one arm around the wooden spike, Klonoa couldn't help but smile back and imitate a military salute with his other hand. "Aye, Captain!" he exclaimed. "I'm ready for anything!"

Lilyacoo nodded and proudly faced the waves again, arms crossed.

"Here it is!" Hewpoe announced, shaking despite himself. "Careful everyone! It's gonna be rough!"

As he finished his sentence, the Coo-Hatch slowly toppled over, letting its three passenger admire the dream-like vision of the sunset in front of their eyes before suddenly falling down, with Hewpoe and Klonoa screaming at the top of their lungs. Their screams of fear and excitement soon became a concert of noises as the other ships fell along with them, with their passengers shouting along. On the other hand, Lilyacoo's feet were still firmly hooked on her ship's ground thanks to the barely visible spikes coming out of her boots, and she let out a loud laughter, visibly unfazed by the dangerous fall her ship was going through.

"Get ready for the landing, maggots!" Lilyacoo shouted. "It's a slide to the ocean from here on out!"

Klonoa stared at her while trying to hold on to his spike. If her goal was to impress the other ships, then she had certainly succeeded: with her long ears and cape flowing behind her, the unnatural way she remained still despite gravity's attraction and her laughter, Lilyacoo looked invincible. Why did she insist on calling herself weak...?  
A sudden shock hit the Coo Hatch, proof that the ship had hit the large, toboggan-like lower side of the waterfall, and the ship was riding on it at full speed, taking so much space than the others had to slow down to let it pass. Klonoa's train of thought was shattered by the violent impact: his hand slipped, and he found himself falling towards Hewpoe, who was still holding the ship's wheel.

" _ _Manyaaaa-__ "

Klonoa's scream was interrupted as a clawed hand grabbed his shirt, preventing him from ramming into his friend. Gazing up, he found himself staring at an upside down version of Lilyacoo's displeased face. "This is the second time you ruin the mood today!" she exclaimed. "Can't you stay still for a sec? I'm trying to look cool here, y'know!"

Klonoa's eyes widened. "When was the first time?"

"When you decided to fall asleep like a stupid baby in front of an __entire__ crowd, and they laughed at me when I tried you back on the Coo-Hatch!" Lilyacoo accused, pointing an angry finger at Klonoa. "We barely made it to the next group of ships leaving the town!"

The Coo-Hatch finally stabilized as it reached the ocean. Hewpoe let out a sigh of relief and checked the masts and sails: they hadn't suffered any damage from the fall.

"Uh… Sorry about embarrassing you back there, then." Klonoa apologized to Lilyacoo after raising up. "I didn't plan to fall asleep, but Daii was..." he looked into the distance, retrieving a serious expression. "He was really something."

"Yeah, I know that much." Lilyacoo muttered bitterly. "Just… pay attention, next time. I don't really like messing up in public. It brings back bad memories." she let out a weary sigh. Maybe it was time to change subject. "So, uh…" she began slowly. "Have you decided on what Combat Clan you wanted to join yet?"

"I want to start with the Blade Clan!" Klonoa declared confidently. "I need to practice a lot with my Wind Sword, so I'd like to stop by their island first."

Lilyacoo nodded and pulled out a map from a pouch behind her back. "Yeah, that cape's not just for show." Lilyacoo said, noticing Klonoa's curious gaze. "It's really useful to, y'know, hide a few things from curious eyes. Anyway, so here's a little map of Pugiland. Pay attention."

Klonoa walked to Lilyacoo's side as she unrolled the paper. She pointed at the lower part of Pugiland, shaped like a giant crown-shaped piece of land.

"So that's where Parry Town is: the __Grippoan Archipelago__." Lilyacoo explained. "I know it all looks like a united piece of land, but the whole structure's actually full of large rivers and canals, like the one we used for the Coo-Hatch's test run. As a result, the islands of the Grippoan Archipelago are really close to each other – so much, in fact, that you could even reach other islands by swimming around. Don't do that though, the current would lead you straight to one of our waterfalls, and I don't wanna imagine what happens if you find yourself in that case."

"I… I'm not really interested in swimming, anyway." Klonoa assured, shaking nervously.

Lilyacoo let out a giggle. "Oh oh, so you can't swim, huh? Shame for you, buddy: water's everywhere here. I'm afraid you'll have to deal with it."

"I'll be fine." Klonoa assured, regaining his composure. "I've been through worse. And you can definitely get me back on the ship if I fall down, right?"

"Yup! Lucky you, I'm actually a pretty good swimmer – and without my abilities, too. Moving on, now. So the Grippoan Archipelago is usually nicknamed Pugiland's Wrist, and its various rivers are the Veins. That's why you can see a lot of "Vein" names were the blue thingies are in the map. And what we have to do is move all the way up from the Wrist's Veins to the main island, which is the Fist of Pugiland – AKA the __Pugnacel Archipelago__."

Lilyacoo's finger slid on the map until it reached its center, in which a form vaguely resembling a fist appeared in all of its glory. The names of the Combat Clans appeared on top of the five "fingers" of the hand-shaped formation. The Blade Isle could be seen on the far left of the Fist.

"Between us, you should know that Pugiland probably doesn't look that close to a fist, but the map's here to be practical, so having a specific shape to remember is better for everyone. Anyway," she continued, pointing at the Blade Isle, "that's where we're going first. The other isles are pretty far away from it – I mean, compared to how close to each other the islands of the Grippoan Archipelago are – so we'll have to buy a few things here and there to make sure the ship can make the trip. And to make sure we can eat. Or, y'know, in case we run into trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Klonoa inquired. But before Lilyacoo could answer him, they heard a violent splash of water near the Coo-Hatch's right side.

"I may not be an actual witch, but I totally jinxed us on that one..." Lilyacoo muttered to herself, shaking her head. "Hewpoe, since you're connected to the Coo-Hatch, warn us if any other ships try to attack us. That ship on the side may or may not be alone. I'll go make sure of that while you watch out for any other."

"Aye, Captain!"

Lilyacoo gazed at Klonoa. She seemed to hesitate. "I'm… Ugh. Okay, come with me." she exclaimed, though it sounded more like an order than anything else. "We'll go talk that idiot down there. If he tries anything funny, we'll use the Wind Launcher."

Klonoa nodded. "That's only if they actually attack us, right?"

"Yeah. Normally I'd ask you to go get ready for the Launcher, but since this was a warning shot, I need to confirm what's gonna happen next."

"Aye, Captain!" Klonoa exclaimed. "Then I'll make sure to support you!"

In a majestic movement, Lilyacoo turned on her heels and approached her ship's rail, her cape and long ears dancing under the mighty sea wind's grasp. Klonoa appeared next to her, and together they stared down at the much smaller ship that had dared shooting a warning shot to the Coo-Hatch.

" _ _OI__!" Lilyacoo shouted at the top of her lungs. "We stopped moving, and we saw the warning shot! So who's the idiot who gave the order to do that? And you better speak up – I have sharp ears, but I probably can't hear your tiny butts down there!"

The ship wasn't actually small at all, but obviously, it was nothing compared to the size of the humongous Coo-Hatch. After a couple of seconds, a blurry figure appeared at the side of the other ship. From what Klonoa could see, it was a canine man, dressed in black from head to toe. He even wore a black bandana with holes on top of them so that his dog-like ears could be seen even from afar.

"That would be me!" he shouted back to Lilyacoo. "And you'd better not call me a tiny butt again, __Witch__ , if you know what's good for ya!"

A vicious grin immediately appeared on Lilyacoo's face as she pressed her red boot on the Coo-Hatch's rail. " _ _Witch__ , huh?" she repeated. "So you're one of those morons who still thinks I'm some sort of demon? Looks like somebody missed my little show! Don't call me that again, twerp, if __you__ know what's good for ya! Now hurry up and tell me what you want: I don't have all day to waste on bugs like you."

Klonoa raised his eyebrows. He knew that Lilyacoo could be aggressive with her comebacks, but he hadn't realize how harsh they could really be.

"Why you little…!" the other muttered. "Fork over your ship and your goods, __Witch__! My __Demohound__ has enough cannons to pulverize whatever defenses you have, and I've got a few friends who want a piece of you, too! You'll be surrounded in no time!"

Lilyacoo's smile disappeared, replaced by a bestial scowl. The very same expression Klonoa had witnessed on her face when a child had thrown a tomato on her ears. Pure hatred.

"Coo!" Klonoa called. "Coo, wait!"

But it was too late. Lilyacoo had already crouched, taking a feline-like position on the ship's rail. Her legs grew slightly bigger as she bent her muscles. And before Klonoa could stop her, Lilyacoo sprung forward, aiming for the __Demohound__ ship below her. Like an unstoppable missile, she reached the deck in an explosion of planks and dust, to the enemy crew's utter surprise.

"Hewpoe!" Klonoa shouted. Activate the weapon shield! I'll go get her!"

"Okay! Be careful, Klonoa!"

Klonoa jumped off the Coo-Hatch as well, using his long ears at the last second to cushion his fall. He pulled out his Wind Sword, looking all around him. But every crew member – they were all canines, wearing the same black outfit as their captain – was looking, horrified, at a scene that Klonoa couldn't yet see. Once the cloud of smoke Lilyacoo had created disappeared, he let out a gasp. Lilyacoo was standing at the edge of the ship's prow, her clawed hand gripping the Demohound captain's neck.

"Never, ever, __EVER__ call me a witch again! You hear me?! NEVER AGAIN!" she shouted in a desperate tone. "You have NO IDEA what my life was like back then, so thanks, but I don't need anyone reminding me!"

"Let… Let me go!" the captain managed to shout, desperate as well. To everyone's awe, these words had the incredible effect to make Lilyacoo stare at him for several seconds… And unleash out a joyful giggle, contrasting completely with the strength she was using to keep the canine above the ground with only one hand. Klonoa, who was about to intervene, stopped like everyone else, astonished by Lilyacoo's bizarre switches in moods.

" _ _Let you go?__ " Lilyacoo repeated, her tone still fierce despite her previous action. "Y'know, this is probably the worse sentence of your life. And I'm glad I was here to hear it, 'cause now, I'm definitely going to… __let you go__." with that said, Lilyacoo released the man, who had just realized that she had been holding him above the ocean the entire time. And he didn't have the chance to scream for help, as Lilyacoo took a second to lacerate his torso with her other hand. She turned back and faced the crew as their captain sank into the water with a powerful __splash__.

"G-Get them!" someone shouted. "Get them both!"

Like the others, Klonoa snapped out of his temporary inability to move upon watching the events before his eyes. His Wind Sword disappeared as the canines behind him pulled out their own blades, but before they could swing them, a Wind Bullet had fired, inflating one of them.

"What?! What's going on?!" he shouted. Klonoa threw him away and several of his comrades fell down, falling back near their ship rail. Klonoa bent his knees as his Beam Gnome appeared in front of him. He dashed forward, tackling the canines in the process – and as he had planned, the hit had been powerful enough to make them fall off the ship. As they reached the water, Klonoa turned back, facing a new wave of opponents. His Beam Gnome disappeared and was replaced by a pair of cannons attached to each of Klonoa's arms. The squad of canine enemies stopped right in their tracks, staring anxiously at the big spike balls Klonoa was pointing at them.

" _ _Wahoo__!" Klonoa exclaimed before pulling the trigger. The twin spike balls flew like bullets to the enemies encounter and scattered them upon impact, with several of them falling overboard. The others, most unlucky, fell right in front of Lilyacoo, who was performing a vengeful rampage at the other side of the ship.

"Oh, looky here." Lilyacoo exclaimed, fake astonishment in her voice. She licked her paw, a spiteful glow visible in her eye. "More __bugs__ who don't know their place. Tell your captain I said hi." without further ado, she dashed away, reached for one of the ship's wall and jumped off of it, using her amazing momentum to strike her opponents with a violent tackle. They were also pushed overboard, and a sudden silence fell upon Klonoa and Lilyacoo. They looked around, realizing that the ship was completely empty.

"So…" Klonoa said, trying to break the silence. "What now?" he gazed at Lilyacoo, who was hiding her claws behind her cape.

"I… Look, I'm sorry." she whispered, uneasy. "Maybe I'm still not ready for this trip after all. I'm still way too angry about that witch thing to do anything rationally. And I'm supposed to be the captain, so… Y'know. I'm not too proud of what you just saw. And… Sorry for dragging you along with my stupid problems."

"Coo." Klonoa said in a soft tone.

"No! Don't you dare!" she immediately screamed back, avoiding to look into Klonoa's eye. "Not so easily! Stop it! Stop being so… So kind!"

"Coo!" Klonoa insisted. "It's not that! Look behind you!"

Lilyacoo turned back and finally raised her head, only to witness the imminent apparition of three other ships that were heading for the Coo-Hatch. And judging from their formation, a friendly visit wasn't part of their plans.

"I think those are the other ships he was talking about." Klonoa continued, referring to the ship's captain Lilyacoo had thrown overboard. "And you know what?" he gazed at Lilyacoo and flashed his brightest smile. "I don't mind!" Klonoa declared happily. "I've met a lot of people, a few of them became my friends. Sometimes, they would get angry, and I wouldn't understand why right away. So I guess you're a bit like that, too!"

"I… I think you could say that…" Lilyacoo whispered.

"Well let's beat up these guys!" Klonoa exclaimed, pointing at the ships. "You keep saying that you're weaker than me, but I really wouldn't wanna fight you at all! And that's exactly what they're gonna think once you get a piece of them! You like fighting, I saw it! So if that's the only thing to calm you down…" Klonoa's Wind Ring shone once more. A magical green blade came out of it. "…Then I'll help you!" he concluded. "Come on, it's just three ships! We can do this!"

Lilyacoo's silver ears slowly rose above her head as she stared at Klonoa, once again dumbfounded before his simple yet unbreakable resolve. "I… I need to stop being shocked by you." she said slowly. She wanted to smile, cry, jump and shout all at once. But a corner of her mind reminded her that she was a captain, and that it was certainly time to get back to that role. "A-Anyway. We're not gonna fight all of these ships by ourselves." Lilyacoo continued, trying her best to regain her composure.

"What do you mean?"

Klonoa's innocent question finished bringing Lilyacoo back to her usual self. A mischievous grin grew on her face. "Coo-Hatch is gonna absorb this ship we're on." she declared. "We're not gonna take all of its materials: just enough weaponry, and those fancy cannons that guy was talking about. Hewpoe and I are gonna make sure that Coo-Hatch absorbs what he needs, and in the meantime, you'll finally get to use the Wind Launcher." Lilyacoo pointed a dramatic finger at Klonoa. "Which means that our counterattack starts with you battling against three enemy ships __by yourself__. Think you can hold your own until I join you?"

Klonoa shrugged. "I've been through worse."

Lilyacoo frowned. "You __always__ say that, y'know." she commented. "After we're done with this, you'll have to tell me what you mean by 'worse'. Now hold still." she put an arm around Klonoa's waist and bent her knees. A second later, Lilyacoo and Klonoa were already in the air, reaching for the Coo-Hatch's deck.

"Welcome back!" Hewpoe greeted them, eyes focused on the three ships slowly approaching them. "I guess things went well from your side, but as you can see, we've got more company."

"Yeah, we noticed." Lilyacoo confirmed, leaving Klonoa behind to approach Hewpoe. "Turn the Coo-Hatch around, we're gonna absorb the lil' ship's cannons. And fight back with 'em."

"Wh-What?" Hewpoe exclaimed, panicked. "But we need you on the ship to make sure that Coo-Hatch absorbs the right materials and discards the unnecessary ones! So you… You're sending Klonoa fighting these guys all on his own?"

"Depends how fast we can do this absorption." Lilyacoo answered sharply. "So the sooner we begin, the sooner I'll be able to join him in the battle. That and you'll just have to sink the other ships with your new cannons. So if you've got time for complains, you've got time for action too. Savvy? Now get to work."

Hewpoe let out an anxious sigh. "Aye, Captain..."

"Don't worry Hewpoe, I'll be fine!" Klonoa assured. "We're not dealing with pirates or something, these guys are just greedy merchants who want pieces of the Coo-Hatch. And I'm not letting them have any!"

Lilyacoo grinned, satisfied. "Well said!" she exclaimed. "Here's your reward, maggot." she snapped her fingers, and Lilyacoo's emblem appeared on the ground next to the main mast. Several seconds later, a circular ray of light formed itself around the emblem and a hatch opened itself: a massive golden cannon arose from the Coo-Hatch's wooden belly.  
The Wind Launcher.

"Gotta thank Hewpoe for that one, since, y'know, him being absorbed by my Coo-Hatch kinda made the creation of this glorified Wind Bullet possible." Lilyacoo commented, nodding to herself. "Anyway, hop in! Let's see if you can make good cannon fodder."

Without hesitation, Klonoa jumped inside of the cannon, effortlessly passing through its large, gaping "mouth". Seconds later, Lilyacoo snapped her finger again. An explosion occurred right next to her: the Wind Launcher had fired, shooting away a big, green ball of energy. It drew a perfect semi-circular arc in the sky before shattering the deck of one of the three approaching ships. From what Lilyacoo and Hewpoe could see, it had at least startled them.

Several kilometers away from the Coo-Hatch's position, the greedy merchants attempting to reach what they referred to as the __Witch's Ark__ had indeed be startled by what they thought was a cannonball. But to their even greater surprised, a kid came out of the bullet that had landed on their main ship. He dusted some shards of wood out of his clothes and closed his eyes as the wind began toying with his long ears.

" _ _Padoo__." he said to himself, visibly satisfied. "We've got a nice breeze around here."

"Who… Who are you?!" one of the merchants, a fleshy bull-like man, exclaimed, snorting about five times in the process. "An envoy of the witch? How did you get here?"

Klonoa frowned. "I'm starting to understand why Lilyacoo always gets upset now." he muttered. "It's like telling her name to the people she hated didn't even matter. Definitely annoying."

The same merchant snorted again – it seemed to be his specialty. "What are you saying? Speak up, loud and clear! Or my mercenary boys here will tear you apart! __Then__ we'll deal with your puny mistress!"

A group of canines appeared all around Klonoa, pulling out daggers and swords of various sizes. They looked exactly like the ones Klonoa had already defeated. He grinned at them, bending his knees. "I'm Klonoa!" he exclaimed. "And if Coo is a witch to you, then I guess I'm her Familiar!"

One of the mercenaries frowned his eyebrows. "Wait, so like… You're a cat? Demon familiars are cats, right?"

"Nah, dude, that thing's a dog." another exclaimed, sure of himself. "I mean look at that nose! He's one of us, I tell ya."

"Yeah, but… The ears, man. Kinda weird-lookin' for a dog, don'tcha think?"

"Eh." a third one intervened. "The girl's a rabbit, right? He could totally be a rabbit."

"Rabbit demon? You serious man?"

They all gave an expectant look to Klonoa, who stared back. "I… don't really ask myself that question." he answered slowly. "Can we just go with demon and start fighting?"

The mercenaries looked at each other. "Demon?" one of them asked.

"Demon." the others confirmed. With that out of the way, the canines rushed forward, swords ready to stab Klonoa. The latter's Wind Sword turned into his Beam Gnome and he tackled them, deflecting their attacks in the process. Switching form the Beam Gnome to the Wind Hammer, Klonoa sent two mercenaries flying overboard before switching back to his Wind Sword again. He spun in place, an unnatural wind spinning along with him.

"Take this!" he shouted. " _ _Thunder Hurricane__!"

A barrage of lightning bolts struck the ship as well as the mercenaries grouped in it. Those who hadn't fallen overboard because of the assault's sheer power were directly struck by it, and soon enough, Klonoa realized that he had once again disposed of his enemies with ease.

 _ _They're nothing compared to Daii.__ He couldn't help but think. Looking on his left, Klonoa realized that the other ship – who had come closer in order to send reinforcements to attack Klonoa – had been hit by several lightning bolts as well, two of which had caused the ship to catch fire. Fire that the mercenaries were desperately trying to put out. On his right, Klonoa could see that the last ship was hesitating in getting closer. After long seconds of reflexion, the crew decided to carefully avoid Klonoa and reach for the Coo-Hatch, believing it to be defenseless. Klonoa giggled, knowing that they were in for an unpleasant surprise.

"You…! You __are__ a demon!"

Klonoa frowned and gazed back on the ship's ground. The bull merchant was still there, snorting as usual.

"Um, no no, that was a joke, mister!" Klonoa assured, giving him his brightest smile. "I'm actually a hero, you know! And as a hero, I'd like it if you stopped calling my Captain a witch, me a demon, and I'd also like it if you didn't follow us anymore. We __can__ defend ourselves."

"Hah!" the other one exclaimed. "Well you're doomed! Doomed, I tell you! The best mercenary of the entire Grippoan Archipelago is coming this way! And you'll be sorry! You'll all be sorry!" With a final snort, the merchant managed to get back on his feet and, before Klonoa could do anything to prevent it, jumped overboard, thus joining his mercenaries in the water.

"Mister!" Klonoa shouted as the merchant swam away. "Come back! I wasn't going to… to…" Klonoa immediately froze. His gaze had been attracted by an impossible sight on the side of the ship. "... _ _Wahee__?" he exclaimed. Forgetting about the merchant, he ran to the left side of the ship to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. And to his surprise, they weren't: even though it was a bit far away, Klonoa could indeed see a smiling swordsman wearing a large golden ribbon behind his head. He was dressed in a fancy yet bizarre half purple dress, half black robe outfit, with three scabbards on the dress' side and three more on the robe side, and finally a seventh blade resting in the crazy-looking character's crossed hands, right in front of him.

"G'day, isn't it?" the swordsman – man or woman? It was impossible for Klonoa to tell – exclaimed in a casual tone. "Kinda cold though, right?"

The mercenary lifted the two-handed sword with one arm and moved the other. He proceeded to pull out a Popsicle stick from his dress' pocket and directly bit in the cold ice cream, seemingly unaffected by the awfully cold sensation that was certainly assaulting his teeth, nor by the fact that he was casually walking on water.

 ** **Vision 2-2: Clear!****


	7. Vision 2-3

**Vision 2-3: Enter the Gourmet Blade**

Klonoa stared blankly at the bizarre warrior standing below him, still wondering if it was a boy or a girl, and most importantly, how was it that he or she could walk on water. From the voice, Klonoa decided that the warrior was probably a male.

"Seriously though!" the mercenary continued in a gentle tone, munching on his ice cream. "Kinda cold today, right?"

"Uh… Yeah." Klonoa admitted. "I mean, I didn't feel too cold from here."

"Really?" the other one said, genuine astonishment painted on his face. "Huh. Is it just me? Or is it 'cause you were fightin' on that ship? Oh, oh! Or maybe it's 'cause of your fur! Your fur's good against the cold, right?"

"Uh… Yeah!" Klonoa exclaimed, encouraged by the casual tone. "I traveled to a few cold places, and it really wasn't that bad for me."

"Ah, then it must be the fur, lucky you!" the mercenary said, laughing softly. "I don't have much fur on me, I'm really more of a… 'scale' type of person. But not really a reptile!" he swiftly corrected. "My skin is like… dusty. But with layers of… weird scales that kinda look like polished gravels. Or that's what people told me when they touched it, ya know. What do you think?"

Before Klonoa could answer, the warrior jumped from his place and reached the ship from which Klonoa was observing him, landing right next to his position. He extended his arm and rolled up his sleeve, smiling cheerfully. "Scale or gravel?" the mercenary inquired, his dark brown eyes glued to Klonoa's face. Slightly intimidated, Klonoa stared back at the warrior. From up close, Klonoa could indeed see tiny little scale-like features on the swordsman's pinkish white face. Klonoa put a hesitant hand on the other one's uncovered arm. To his surprise, it _did_ feel slightly rough.

"Uh… gravel." Klonoa finally answered. "Yeah, more like gravel."

"Hmmmm, so more like gravels than like scales..." the swordsman said to himself in a thoughtful voice, rolling his sleeve back on. "Well, I can't tell people I have a gravel skin, so I'll just stick with scales when explaining it. Yeah." he nodded to himself and took another bite in his ice cream.

"Uh… So, who are you?" Klonoa inquired, willing to end the awkward moment he was trapped in once and for all.

The mercenary froze while eating "...Oh, right!" he shouted. "Name, introduction, all that good stuff! Okay, okay, lemme do it right." he took several steps back and planted his sword on the ship's ground. Klonoa noticed that it looked exactly like the Popsicle stick that was sticking out of his mouth.

"The name's Komm!" the warrior declared proudly. "People call me the best mercenary of the Grippoan Archipelago, but my official title's 'Gourmet Blade'." Komm leaned over and winked at Klonoa. "Came up with the title myself." he revealed before striking another pose, his sword once again planted on the ground. "So! One of the guys you tossed overboard told me to deal with a 'witch' person, so I'm supposed to cut her ship in half and deal with her and anyone that's part of her team." Komm pointed at Klonoa. "That means you, big guy! Sorry to say that now – we were getting along so well!"

Klonoa frowned. _I dunno about that, he's kinda… weird._

"Yeah, I get that look a lot." Komm admitted, noticing Klonoa's suspicious gaze. "Heck, most people can't even tell if I'm a boy or a girl! Oh and don't bother asking, by the way." Komm continued, winking again. "You can say I'm a boy if it's easier for you, but the real answer's a secret!"

Klonoa felt even more confused. "But… What do you want from me? Why are you acting like that? Your job is to get rid of me, right?"

"Uh, no. My job's to finish my missions." Komm corrected. "And this time, _yes_ , it involves taking you down, but it doesn't mean I should be as sharp and soulless as a weapon. That would be kinda boring. 'Sides, you're kinda nice! And since my target's not you, you can even tell me where that Witch person is and I'll let ya go. I swear it on my blades!"

Klonoa bent his knees and extended one arm. His Wind Sword appeared, proudly shining before Komm's eyes. The latter let out a whistle.

"Fancy blade, not gonna lie." Komm commented. "And to be fair, I kinda guessed that would be your answer. So! Let's do this." he let a mischievous grin grow on his face and removed his blade from the ground before extending it in a saluting gesture. Understanding what he wanted, Klonoa also extended his blade until they crossed path.

"I'm Klonoa." Klonoa introduced himself, smiling as well. "Nice to meet you, Komm!"

"Thanks! Let's see what you've got, Klonoa." with that said, both Klonoa and Komm took several steps back. Then, the mercenary raised his sword above his head. Several markings appeared on it, and it took an icy blue color.

"You're an honest kid, Klonoa, so I'll be blunt with you." Komm declared, still grinning. "You should jump. Like… _now_."

A freezing wind engulfed the entire ship, and from what Klonoa could see, the sword was causing it. Taking his opponent's advice for granted, Klonoa jumped as high as he could. At the same moment, Komm's sword hit the ground… and an unstoppable burst was unleashed.

" _Manya_!" Klonoa exclaimed, blown away by the blast. He went much higher than he expected, and although it was difficult, he managed to open his eyes. Below him, a gigantic cloud of smoke had appeared where the ship was supposed to be, which confirmed Klonoa's fear.

Komm had destroyed the entire ship in a single strike.

 _Calm down._ Klonoa thought to himself as he fell down. _There must be something I can do about it!_ Klonoa covered his mouth with his arm as he entered the cloud of smoke. He used his ears to hover above the ground and cushion his fall. He found himself landing on cold, hard ground. Frowning, Klonoa knelt and put a hand on the ground. "It's ice..." he whispered, surprised by the discovery.

"Yeah, it's to avoid you fallin' in the water." Komm's voice suddenly intervened.

With a whooshing sound, the cloud of smoke suddenly vanished, replaced by the cold wind that had previously appeared. Komm was standing on the icy field as well, not too far from Klonoa's position. His Popsicle blade was once again planted on the ground before him – that seemed to be his preferred pose – still covered by a layer of blue ice and strange markings.

"Yo!" Komm greeted happily. "Glad you survived that. So, ready to rumble?"

 _He can destroy an entire ship with just one attack. And he's not even tired._ Klonoa thought. _But this is an ice field he needs as much as I do. So he's not gonna destroy it!_

"Yeah." Klonoa confirmed, Wind Sword glittering in front of him. "I'm ready!"

Komm nodded. "Good! Had to ask. Well then! Let's do this." with that said, Komm removed his sword from the ground and dashed forward, tranquilly skating his way towards Klonoa. To the latter's surprised, a lightning fast diagonal strike from the mercenary's large sword struck the place he was standing on half a second ago. Now in the air, Klonoa took his Wind Sword with both hands and it turned into his Wind Hammer. He swung it downward, but Komm raised his arm: his sword received the hammer's hit as if it was blocking a pebble toss. To top it all off, Komm was holding the blade with one arm, his playful smile still stuck on the face. Using his second arm, he pulled out another ice cream for the dress side of his bizarre clothing before slightly moving his sword. Klonoa was pushed aside and landed on the ice, turning his hammer back into a Wind Sword to stop himself from sliding too far.

 _This ice is thick._ he realized. _I don't think even my hammer can break it. Maybe…_  
Klonoa's train of thought was interrupted by the unlikely sound of someone chomping on something crispy. Gazing up, Klonoa witnessed an ecstatic Komm blushing in front of his apparently delicious ice cream.

"Mmmmm, Strawberry Panic, my favorite one!" Komm exclaimed before taking another bite. "Aay tha bbay, Klooa!" he continued, his mouth full. "Waj aat yur besht shot?"

Klonoa rose up frowning. "...What?"

Komm swallowed the rest of his beloved ice cream. "Oh right! Sorry. I was asking if that was your best shot! Since it's a hammer at all. Because if you don't have anything bigger than that, you might be in trouble with me. Friendly warnin'."

"Hey, I can handle myself!" Klonoa replied, slightly frustrated. "You worry about not eating and fighting at the same time!"

Komm's grin grew larger. "I think you're missing the point here, buddy. I like your guts, and I don't wanna hurt you too badly. So how about this: instead of playing around, why don't you use your lightning stuff from earlier? I think that's closer to what your best shot is. As a reward, I'll go all out too for a sec and we'll be done with it. I have a really important thing I need to take care of, so sorry, but I need to hurry."

Klonoa retrieved a serious expression. "Maybe, but I'm on duty too!" he exclaimed. "And I can't let you do anything to my Captain or the Coo-Hatch!"

"All the more reasons to do the thunder thingy again." Komm insisted. "That would benefit both of us."

"That's what you say! But I don't want any of your rewards!" Klonoa pointed his sword to Komm: it turned into his Arm Cannons. Komm pulled out yet another ice cream, this time from the mantle-side of his clothing. He chomped on it and gripped his sword with both hands. "I think I got enough sugar to keep playin' for a few minutes then." he said, eyes locked on Klonoa. "So! Let's see how long you can last before I force you to use that thunder thingy."

Klonoa pulled the trigger, and two spiked balls flew towards Komm, who simply swung his sword: a freezing wind caught them within its cold grip and completely froze them. Klonoa moved away, turning his Arm Cannons into his Beam Gnome. In the mean time, Komm skidded in his direction, drawing a symbol in the air with his sword. The symbol actually took shape in the air itself, and a vaguely egg-shaped ball of ice gushed in Klonoa's direction, followed by several others. Klonoa raised his Beam Gnome and intercepted the projectiles, protected behind his shield. Komm used the opportunity to raise his sword, ready to finish the work with a mighty lateral cut. Seeing the move coming, Klonoa dashed forward, tackling Komm with the Beam Gnome. The mercenary lost his balance and fell back, thus leaving himself wide open. The advantage was now for Klonoa, who took his hammer and jumped, ready to deliver a hit of his own.

" _Wow_!" Komm shouted, seeing the blow coming his way. He drew a quick sign with his hand and closed it into a fist: a red circular shield appeared in front of him, seconds before Klonoa's hammer reached his face. Klonoa stared at the shield, realizing that his weapon was stuck inside of it.

"Gelatine Screen." Komm explained. "Pretty useful trick, too! Especially now that you're stuck right next to me, and my sword's still there. See what I meant when I..."

In a flash of light, the Wind Hammer disappeared, replaced by Klonoa's Wind Ring. But it was still stuck in the Gelatine Screen.

"...said you'd be best going all out?" Komm continued. "And don't bother, you're not getting out of there."

It was Klonoa's turn to grin. "You're right." he said with a determined glare. " _You're_ the one getting out of here!" using repeated Wind Bullets, Klonoa inflated the Gelatine Screen as much as he could, to the point of it turning into an oversized balloon. Slightly worried, Komm stared at the result, realizing that his hand was glued in his own creation. "Uhh… You can do that?" he inquired, licking a side of his ice cream still stuck between his lips as he talked. "Well that's… convenient."

Klonoa's feet were back on the ground, and he was bearing the smile of someone who was in utter control. Despite this, he decided not to waste any time: he fired more Wind Bullets into the balloon until it finally popped, sending both him and Komm away. The mercenary used his blade to skid on the ground, and so did Klonoa with his own Wind Sword.

"Okay, _that_ was pretty cool." Komm admitted, pleasantly surprised. "You've got quite a few tricks with that ring of yours, huh?"

"And you can use various magic attack with those symbols of yours." Klonoa replied, pointing at Komm's sword and gloves. "So I guess you're full of tricks, too!"

"Yeah, but unlike you, I'm not close to run out of options." Komm exclaimed, swallowing another chunk of his ice cream. Then he suddenly frowned and put a hand to his mouth, pulling out the wooden stick on which his ice cream was supposed to be on. "...Oh." he muttered. "Time's up. D'aaaaw, shame! I was really enjoyin' myself here."

"Time's up?" Klonoa repeated. "Hey, I'm not finished yet! I still have a few tricks left, too!"

Komm gazed at him. "I told you I'd play with you as long as I had some sugar left, remember? Welp, I just ran out. Now I have to fight a little more seriously. So you better prepare that big electric thing of yours I don't have all day, I told you that too."

"And I told _you_ I didn't care!" Klonoa replied, exasperated. "Your mission is to destroy what I need to protect! D'you really think I'm gonna let you do that?"

"...Klonoa." Komm insisted. "How many swords do I have?"

Klonoa frowned. "...Seven. Unless you're hiding more."

"That's right." Komm confirmed. "Seven. And how many swords have I used in our battle so far?"

"...One."

"That's right. _One_. You've been switching weapons and tactics to adapt to that one sword, and you've forced me to use one of my defensive spells. Good job, not gonna lie. But I hope you realize that you're gonna be in _real_ trouble once I start using my other blades. Which should be right about..." Komm interrupted himself and sheathed his Popsicle sword behind his back, in a scabbard hidden behind the giant golden ribbon that decorated his head. He took two new Popsicle swords from two scabbards on his sides – both of which were much shorter, and golden in color.

"... _Now_." Komm concluded before drawing new symbols in the air. To Klonoa's astonishment, Komm walked through the magical symbol he had drawn and suddenly vanished before reappearing several meters away from his position.  
Right in front of Klonoa.

"Wa… _Wahee_ …?" Klonoa whispered, dumbfounded.

"Since you don't wanna go all out, lemme show a thing or two with a little thing I like to call _High Five_." Komm declared in his usual joyous tone. "So, _Gimme Five_!"

Trying to regain his composure, Klonoa swung his Wind Sword, but Komm's blade was too fast: a sudden hit on the chest made Klonoa fly way over the ice field Komm had created. He was above the water, and with no possibility to get back to the field.

" _Up High_!"

Klonoa raised his head just in time to witness Komm pass through the same symbol he had previously summoned and reach his side at amazing speed. Then, his vision was once again blurred by the sheer power of the next hit, which sent him upward.

" _Down Low_!"

Klonoa tried to move his arm: in vain. He had no time to attempt anything before Komm once again joined his side: though this time, Klonoa could clearly see blue, crystal-like wings behind the mercenary's back. Smiling, the latter swung one of his two blades and sent Klonoa back to the icy field he had left.

 _C'mon…! Do something!_ Enduring the pain, Klonoa managed to turn his sword back into his Beam Gnome as he reached for the ground, using the shield to both protect himself from the shock and attack Komm, who had reappeared right below Klonoa.

" _Too Slow!_ "

Before Klonoa's assault could connect, Komm had already spun around, playfully evading the hit before both of his swords hit Klonoa – though this time, the Beam Gnome prevented Komm from striking at full power. Klonoa was flung on the side and slid on the ice, heavily panting. But despite his state, he soon rose up, turning the Beam Gnome into the Wind Hammer to help himself getting back on his feet.

"Huh. Still standing." Komm observed. "Maybe I should've went with a full powered High Five." he stared at the ground for several seconds. "Nah!" he exclaimed, brushing of the idea with a gesture of his gloved hand. "It's better like this. Hey, Klonoa! You're usin' your electric stuff or what? You're kind of at your limit here!"

"You don't… need… To tell me!" Klonoa answered, heavily breathing. He was covered in minor bruises and cuts, but the brutality of the attacks had been enough to drain most of his stamina – he could barely stand.

 _But I gotta protect the Coo-Hatch!_ Klonoa thought. _Lilyacoo…! Hewpoe!_ A vision struck Klonoa: the Coo-Hatch, destroyed in a single hit. Hewpoe, who was linked to it, disappearing as the ship fell in the water. Forever lost in the deepness of the sea.

"No… _No_!" Klonoa screamed, an angry scowl covering his face. "You _won't_ hurt my friends!"

Komm planted both of his swords on the ground and crossed his arms. "Prove it." he said, gazing at Klonoa with an unusually serious expression. "Prove your worth to me, big guy. I told you you should've done that from the start."

"I don't need my enemies to tell me how to protect my friends!" Klonoa shouted back. "And I'm gonna show you what I can really do!"

"About time." Komm muttered.

Klonoa's Wind Sword appeared once again and he adopted a reverse grip. He closed his eyes, trying his best to calm his panicked heartbeats and rising anger. It wasn't with hatred that he always managed to conquer the challenges in his way. It was because he had things to protect, or someone's plot to destroy. There was no place for his personal feelings to interfere. A little breeze came to tickle his fur, bringing a tiny smirk back to his face. An image of the sweet Breezegale came into Klonoa's mind.  
The wind always knew how to cheer him up.

" _Rupurudu_!" Klonoa exclaimed before furiously spinning in place – faster than ever before. A powerful gush of wind arose around him.

Komm's eyes widened as he witnessed a tornado slowly forming itself where Klonoa was spinning. "Heck yeah." he muttered to himself, slowly uncrossing his arms. "Big one. This is gonna be a _big_ one!" having said that, he grinned, sheathed the two blades that were resting on the ground and took back his main one – still hidden in the scabbard behind his back – which he used to paint another series of complex lines in the air. Once lit up, the symbol disappeared at Komm's feet as he lifted his sword in front of his eyes, taking a determined stance. The blade was covered with a crimson red glow. At the same time, Klonoa abruptly stopped spinning around, gazing at Komm. Klonoa's long ears were still moving in the air, the powerful wind still affecting him as he walked towards his opponent until he arrived in front of him. They silently stared at each other.

"I'm not a trickster, and neither are you." Komm declared. "So you can trust me if I tell you that I accept this challenge of yours, right?"

Klonoa nodded. "Maybe. But I can't trust you to leave my friends alone. So I have to stop you!"

"That's all I needed to hear. Then let's do this, Klonoa!" Komm spun his sword in front of him just as Klonoa adopted a reverse grip again. The wind around him shifted direction.

" _Thunder Hurricane_!"

" _Cool Off!_ "

Komm's sword violently hit the groun, just as a tornado of freezing wind built itself all around him. Klonoa's spinning frenzy started again as a tornado of his own appeared. The two unstoppable forces of wind clashed, but while Komm's ice tornado fought against Klonoa's windy emanation, lightning bolts fell all around him, getting dangerously close to his position. Komm's sword was still planted on the ground, shining as brightly as a star as the ice tornado raged on, shielding him from Klonoa's numerous assaults.

"I'm the strongest around here, big guy!" Komm taunted, grinning with excitement as the thunder strikes kept falling. "Don't think you can defeat my Cool Off!"

"I fought people like you before!" Klonoa shouted back. "People who think they're the best at what they do! Who think they can't be stopped! Who think they can do whatever they want to others because they're strong! But I'm strong, too! And I'm here to remind to people like you what being strong really means!"

"Oh?" Komm exclaimed. "To beat the heck out of people?"

"No! _TO PROTECT THEM_!" answering to Klonoa's fierce battle cry, more lightning bolts appeared all around the two fighters, but they rapidly fell closer and closer to the clash of twisters. Then, they reached for Komm's ice tornado and assaulted it along with Klonoa's wind, shattering its spinning force in the process. Komm was sucked into the tornado and struck by the remaining lightning bolts around the field. Klonoa finally stopped spinning in place and planted his Wind Sword on the ground, using it like a cane that would prevent him from collapsing.

 _Lilyacoo would be really mad at me if I fell unconscious again._ Klonoa thought to himself, smiling upon imagining her irritated face. During several more seconds, he attempted to catch his breath, staring at the sea around the ice platform he was still stuck on. Then suddenly, something hit him.  
 _Where… Where's Komm_? slightly worried, Klonoa gazed up…  
...And found himself staring at a grinning face full of impeccable white teeth.

" _Ah_!" Komm exclaimed joyfully. "I was wondering when you'd realize that you never heard the sound of a body hittin' the ground. Took you long enough!"

Klonoa stared at him. He was so shocked that he could almost forget about his painful state. "...How are you…?"

"How I am still kickin', you ask?" Komm interrupted. "Well let's see." he moved in front of Klonoa and landed on the ground. The pair of crystal-like blue wings Klonoa had previously seen on his back were there, and were certainly the reason why he could fly without much effort.

"First of all," Komm began, lifting a finger, "I bet you totally forgot that this was your first hit on me. As in… You took a serious beating, but you never actually hit me before this clash we just had. All those strong guys you talked about earlier, you didn't beat them all in one hit, right?"

"N-No..."

"Yeah, thought so. Second," Komm continued, lifting another finger, "the fight isn't over, you're too tired to continue, and I'm… Well I don't show it right now, but I'm kinda tired too. Still have enough stamina left to knock you out, though. So, yeah! I win. You lose. Tough luck, Klonoa! Looks like I'm still the strongest round here after all." Komm added, striking a prideful pose. "Not that it's a surprise, or anythin'."

"I don't... care." Klonoa replied, still panting. "I mean what I said! Strength isn't meant to make other people suffer! It's meant to protect them!"

A tender smile appeared on Komm's face. "You… You speak a lot like _her_." he said softly, looking into the distance. "Heh. Now you're makin' me nostalgic. But ya know, none of the stuff you say matter much if you lose – or at least, not to me. And with you out of the way, I don't really see anything that would stop me from tearing apart your ship."

"How about the ship _itself_ , maggot?!"

Komm's smile disappeared, while a huge one made its way on Klonoa's face. At the same time, a loud noise occurred, and seconds later, a cannonball flew through the air and exploded on the icy field, right next to Komm's location. But the mercenary had already moved out of the way, his wings allowing him to float a few meters above the ground.

"Klonoa!" Hewpoe exclaimed from the Coo-Hatch's prow. "Grab the ladder and climb up!"

Klonoa's Wind Blade disappeared. Though he was still tired, Klonoa was sure he could at least reach for the Coo Hatch's – now that he knew everyone was safe, he had no more reason to worry. Or at least that was his train of thought until he witnessed Komm fly through the air and tackle Lilyacoo, who was carelessly looking down on the field from the side of her ship. She was pushed on the ground, to everyone else's surprise.

" _COO_!" Klonoa shouted. Without wasting any more time, he ran towards the Coo-Hatch, jumped towards its left side and grabbed the ladder, climbing as fast as he could. Once the deck finally reached, Klonoa scanned the area and saw Lilyacoo on the ground, completely trapped under Komm's body. Using his Wind Ring once more, he pointed both of his arms at him just a his Arm Cannons appeared.

"Komm!" Klonoa called. "Get off my Captain and–"

"Lunaaaaa! Luna Luna Lunaaaa!" Komm shouted, rubbing his cheek against Lilyacoo's. "I can't believe you were the Witch girl they talked about!"

"Good to see you too, Gourmet."

Klonoa and Hewpoe gazed at the two, startled by their exchange.

"Coo?" Klonoa inquired. "You… You know him?"

"It's ' _her_ ' to me, y'know." Lilyacoo corrected, pushing Komm aside as she rose up from the ground. "But that's still an unresolved question, isn't it?" she gazed at Komm, who giggled in return. He hugged Lilyacoo once more, apparently too happy to realize the bitterness in Lilyacoo's tone.

"Yup! Even to you, Luna." Komm confirmed, a bright smile enlightening his face. "You don't mind, right? You never did!"

"It doesn't really matter, no." Lilyacoo continued on the same tone, staring hard at Komm. "And frankly, I don't see why anything about someone who only cares about _ice creams_ should matter to me."

Komm's smile disappeared. " _You_ of all people should know that it's not the only thing I care about, Luna." he declared.

" _Stop_ calling me that!" Lilyacoo protested. "These days are over!"

"But you're still calling me Gourmet!"

"Hey! You two!"

Komm and Lilyacoo turned their heads. Hewpoe was looking at them, arms crossed, and visibly unhappy. "Could you please tell us what's going on here? Who's this… Person?"

Lilyacoo let out a deep sigh. "Gourmet." she called. "Presentation time."

"...Oh! Right." Komm said, immediately letting Lilyacoo go. She pointed at him, still looking grumpy. "Crew," Lilyacoo started, "let me introduce you to an old friend of mine. Komm, alias Gourmet Blade. We used to be part of the same team when I was a kid."

Komm rolled his eyes. "You're still kind of a kid. Well, more like a teenager now, but–"

"Shut up, Gourmet. You're only two years older than me."

"The same team?" Klonoa repeated. "What do you mean?"

" _ScissorSix_." Lilyacoo declared. "That's the name of an old band of bounty hunters who traveled around Pugiland, solving the problems that the Combat Clans didn't do anything about. I was the youngest member of them. And back then, everybody knew me as the Berserk One, also known as... Lunatic Orb."

 **Vision 2-3: Clear!**


	8. Vision 2-4

**Vision 2-4: Memories of past encounters**

"...And then I looked her in the eye, pulled out my awesome sword and said: ' _Last time was just a practice round, m'dear! Say hello to Komm Mark 2… And goodbye to your short-lived freedom!_ ' And then I captured the poor gal, got the bounty and the few ice creams I was promised, bragged about my victory in a few inns and went to sleep. The end!"

Klonoa and Hewpoe stared at Komm, astonished by how casually he had told them his anecdote.

"But… You almost died!" Hewpoe exclaimed, impressed.

"And she shot you with her magic cannonball!" Klonoa added.

"Yeah, but you kinda get used to that kind of stuff when you're a mercenary or a bounty hunter – and I'm _both_." Komm declared, pointing a prideful finger on his chest. "I mean, sure, that Kuwann girl got me good the first time, and that fall from her tower could've _definitely_ done me in. But, 'twas nothing this Gourmet Blade couldn't handle! And you know, when I managed to activate my wings and fly back up…" Komm closed his eyes, lips stretched into a nostalgic smile. "Aaah… That felt _so good_! The wind rushing on my face, my heart beating so fast each thump could be the last… Yup. That was my first flight – and by far the best one. Hear that, kids?" Komm exclaimed, striking a confident pose. "Even gravity's got nothin' on me! And that's why I'm the strongest!"

"Pipe down, Miss ' _I'm the strongest_ '." Lilyacoo shouted from the Coo Hatch's prow. "I can hear you from here, y'know. And your bragging's one of the worst things my ears need to endure right now."

Komm stuck out his tongue, as playful as ever. "Blah blah blah, Miss ' _I need to destroy the mood_ '! Focus on that wheel of yours, will ya? Go complain to nature for givin' ya those beautifully sharp ears of yours, and make sure we don't crash into something!"

Klonoa let out a giggle. Watching these two talk to each other was a riot. He gazed at Komm, unsure what to think about the childish mercenary. Ever since he and Lilyacoo had reunited, they had done nothing but bicker to and fro, until Lilyacoo decided to take the wheel instead of Hewpoe, and Komm decided to sit down and share some of his adventures with them.

"' _Beautifully sharp ears_ '?" Lilyacoo repeated in an sarcastic tone. "Sounds like somebody's a bit too jealous. That, or you're trying to flatter me."

"Nah, I'm just tellin' the truth, Luna!" Komm assured, shrugging. "Seriously!" he added, gazing back at Klonoa and Hewpoe. "Out of all of us, she was always the best at spotting traps or hunting for stuff without even looking at them! I remember that one time, we were training in one of our favorite hideouts, an abandoned tower in Sobarrn – a super cold, super huge town placed in a super small island between the Grippoan and Pugnacel Archipelagos."

"Like so many others, y'know." Lilyacoo commented, head still turned towards the horizon.

"And like, I was trying to get better at flying with my new wings, and Luna was shooting me with her magic orb to see if I could dodge her energy projectiles in mid-air. Well at some point – and she was still looking at me when she did that! – She aimed her arm down below and shot the ground. The next second, I heard a cry, and when I dived to see what was going on, I found a rival mercenary who was trying to sneak out in the tower! So I asked Luna how she did that, and you know what she answered me?"

Lilyacoo chose this moment to turn back and gaze at Komm, smiling for the first time since he had arrived on her ship. "' _The ears, maggot_ '." she completed, satisfied. "About time you told them about a good memory, Gourmet."

"You know me, I have to brag a bit first." Komm replied, giggling softly. "But seriously Luna, didn't you like it? Being with us, I mean. It really wasn't that bad, right?"

"And… you told me you had always been alone." Hewpoe added softly.

" _Technically_ always alone." Lilyacoo corrected, sighing bitterly. "When I joined ScissorSix, they were already enjoying themselves for years, and I was the newbie nobody really payed attention to. I mean, it's not that they didn't care, but everybody already had their own lives and stuff to do, so I didn't feel… At home very much." she rolled her eyes and pointed at Komm. "Well, Gourmet was trying her best to make me feel comfy and all, but the entire group disbanded a year after I joined, so, I was back to being alone until now. So yeah. Doesn't really count."

"It's not _my_ fault the group disbanded!" Komm exclaimed, frowning. "And 'sides, I disagree! Sure, maybe you were alone for most of… uh… Your life, which I didn't get to see for a while, but I wouldn't say that I don't really count if I were you! I mean, you went berserk on me more than anyone else, and I was tasked to deal with it!"

Lilyacoo fell silent for several seconds. "Then why… Why didn't you follow me, Gourmet?" she asked feverishly. "I _needed_ someone with me! I met Daii again, y'know? And even _he_ didn't know where you had run off to, you and Zaya! He told me you–"

"Hold on!" Klonoa suddenly exclaimed, eyes widened. "Daii was part of your group?"

"Uh, yeah, what about it?" Lilyacoo and Komm exclaimed in unison, an equally interrogative gaze decorating their faces.

"We chatted during our fight, but I didn't know he had any companion! He looked to be more of a loner to me."

"He kind of is." Lilyacoo said, crossing her arms. "He mostly practiced his skills on his own, or with Gourmet whenever he was fed up of her asking for a battle thirty times a day."

"Aaaah, those were the days!" Komm exclaimed, another big smile enlightening his face. "Me and Pattern fighting for a while, me throwing everything I got, and whenever he was tired, he'd start blocking every attack and countering with his bare hands!" Komm gazed at Klonoa. "Pattern Fist, he was called. Did you get the chance to taste his Block Aura?"

Klonoa nodded. "I almost won." he revealed. "But the second time I used my Thunder Hurricane to try and defeat him, he… He took a fighting stance and moved his hands. Then every time a thunderbolt tried to hit him, he deflected it. And right after the attack was over, I didn't really understand what happened, but I was on the ground and he was talking to me."

"You got owned by his Aura Counter, which usually happens after he blocks a big attack. But wait..." Komm frowned. "That was… That was your first fight against him? You managed to make him use both his Block Aura _and_ Aura Counter on your first time? How the heck did you do that?"

Klonoa shrugged. "I did my best, that's it!" he exclaimed. "But he told me I would've won if I had spent more time _fighting_ than _adventuring_. I… didn't really get what he meant by that, but I recovered quickly. I've been through worse."

"There it is again!" Lilyacoo shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Klonoa. "' _I've been through worse_ '! You always say that! Hey, Hewpoe, the wind's leading us on the right direction, right?"

Hewpoe nodded, startled by Lilyacoo's tone.

"And since you're linked to the Coo-Hatch, you can warn us if we hit anything or make any bad encounter, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Hewpoe confirmed. "Why?"

Lilyacoo sat on the ground, arms crossed, a fiery glare stuck on Klonoa. "Tell me what happened to you!" she ordered. "How the heck can you always look at stuff so positively? How come you've always been through worse than the stuff happening to us now? I wanna know!"

Klonoa gazed back at her, then at Komm, who seemed to silently agree with her, looking just as curious as Lilyacoo was. Then Klonoa looked at Hewpoe, smiling uneasily.

"Where should I start?" Klonoa said, sighing. "Hewpoe, should I…?"

"Saddest memories for last." Hewpoe interrupted softly, as if reading his friend's mind. "Let's start with the Kingdom of Jillius. That's your oldest memory, right?"

Klonoa crossed his arms, frowning. "I'm not sure… Everything is mixed up, and I can never tell what happened first or last. But… We're better off starting somewhere."

"Wait." Lilyacoo interrupted, confused already. "You don't remember everything clearly? Is your memory that bad, or did something happen to you along the way?"

"It's… hard to explain." Klonoa replied, still uneasy. "I don't exactly know what happens to me when I travel, but I always just wake up somewhere and go on adventures. It's like… It's like I'm dreaming, you know? I mean… it's strange, right? How sometimes you wake up and know you had a dream, but can't remember it? That's what happens to me all the time. I just woke up on the grass of Pugiland, for example, and Hewpoe was next to me." having said this, Klonoa moved on to explain the first adventure that had come to his mind, which was when waking up in Emperor Jillius' Kingdom. He told his small audience how he and Hewpoe were dragged in the Emperor's courtroom only to be told that not only had he broke the Kingdom's sacred law by dreaming – which apparently was not allowed – but he also had to defeat the four monsters wreaking havoc around the land if he wanted to be set free.

"Wait, so the guy _used_ you just like that so he could get rid of his problems?!" Lilyacoo shouted angrily. "What a jerk! Can't he fix his problems himself instead of sending a random kid go battle some dangerous stuff?"

"But how did you just… woke up there in the first place?" Komm inquired, frowning. "You said his guards came to your house… But how did they even do that? You don't live there, right?"

Klonoa gazed at Komm, a sad smile painted on the face. "If only I knew how all of these things happened to me, and why," he began softly, "I'd tell you. But all I know is that it happens, and I can't just stand there and do nothing while something is going on." with that said, Klonoa resumed his story, moving on to the Dream Champ tournament organized by a shady character named Garlen, and how it was the place in which he met Guntz, who turned out to become a trustful friend of his. Then, he told them all about the Beach Volleyball Tournament, his quest of the Legendary Star Medal, his amazing crusade with an army of heroes across various worlds* – in which Klonoa and Guntz took part and met some of their old enemies again – and finally, he concluded his long tale with the two adventures he remembered the most. One occurred in Phantomile, and the other in Lunatea. Even Hewpoe was listening closely, for he hadn't taken part in quite a few of his friend's adventures.

"And… I think that's it!" Klonoa concluded, slightly dizzy after having spoken so much. "Whew! I think it's the first time I take my time explaining everything to people, but maybe I should do that more often. I remember much more clearly now."

Lilyacoo and Komm were utterly speechless. They shared an astonished gaze, as they were beginning to realize what kind of amazing creature they had had the chance to meet.

"Dude." Komm began, being the first one to recover. "Your life is messed up. And… It's funny, because I'm not sure if it's messed up in a good or a bad way. Point is, I think… I think I'm starting to understand what Pattern meant when he told you that you would've one if you had spent more time fighting than adventuring. And in fact, I think you would've beaten even me, too. And… Maybe even going toe to toe with Zaya. Like, _easily_."

"Uh… Thanks?" Klonoa replied, surprised by Komm's serious tone and shocked expression. "But… What did Daii mean, then?"

"He meant that you don't have enough combat experience." Lilyacoo explained. "And I think he's right, y'know. 'Cause out of all the crazy stuff that happened to you so far, even the Dream Champ Tournament thingy was an _adventuring_ competition. The only adventure you've done in which you had to fight all the time, non-stop and without possibility to outsmart your enemies was during that crusade you did with an army of heroes. That's essentially your biggest fighting experience, and none of your adventures are comparable to that one."

"AKA," Komm continued, "if you can already push Daii to use his more advanced moves, and resist some of mine, after a few weeks of training around the Pugnacel Archipelago, you'll… Man, you're gonna be unstoppable."

"And I understand so much, now." Lilyacoo added, alternatively glancing at Klonoa and Hewpoe. "Compared to… Compared to what happened to you two in Phantomile… This... This is _nothing_."

"Yeah." Hewpoe confirmed, moving closer to his friend's side. "I'm just glad we get to share some more time together."

"Same here, Hewpoe." Klonoa confirmed, grinning. "We'll save this place, too! And since I'm gonna be unstoppable in a few weeks…" Klonoa suddenly rose from the ground, gazing at Komm. "Why don't we start training now?" he exclaimed. "I've been talking for hours, but we're going to reach the Blade Isle, right? Can we have some sword practice before that?"

Komm rose up as well, stretching with glee. "Sure thing, Klonoa!" Komm replied, itching for some action. "Lemme just summon my gear again and we'll be ready for a round!"

"Um, then you should hurry and begin now." Hewpoe warned them before pointing in the distance. "Because we've almost reached our first destination."

Klonoa, Komm and Lilyacoo gazed over the sea: at the edge of the horizon, a blurry outline could indeed be seen, which was a sign that they were about to reach the land.

"Oh, darn it." Komm muttered. "Welp, let's do this then! "C'mon, Klonoa, I'll teach you a few tricks or two before we get there. But you better get me some ice creams after this!"

"You got it Komm!"

Lilyacoo looked at them as they moved behind the main cabin, where they had more than enough space to practice before the Coo-Hatch reached Blade Isle. Komm dusted his mantle/dress outfit and slightly turned back, a serious expression on the face. _This isn't over._ His eyes were telling Lilyacoo. She nodded, and he went on his way.

"By the way, Komm?" Lilyacoo heard Klonoa ask despite the distance. "What was that important thing you needed to do after your mission?"

"Eh, it's not _that_ important right now! You'll see when we get to Blade Isle. I didn't know Luna and the Witch person would be the same gal, so now I'll just have to hunt another prey. I wouldn't wanna dance with her any time soon, anyway – she knows too much about my powers, so if she absorbs them, I don't think I can last very long. Kinda like what happened with the first time."

Lilyacoo's heart missed a beat. Of course Komm _had_ to mention that.

"Oh." Klonoa exclaimed, surprised. "What happened the first time, then? How did you two meet?"

"And why did you abandon me, you stupid idiot…" Lilyacoo muttered to herself, moving back to the starboard side of her ship – her favorite spot. "Stupid… stupid, blind, greedy, freakin'… _Idiot_." Lilyacoo let out a deep sigh. She knew she was being too harsh. Komm must've had a very good reason to have not followed her, especially considering how much he cared about Zaya – and with good reason. Lilyacoo frowned. Where _was_ Zaya? She'd have to ask Komm about the whereabouts of the ex-members of the group after they reached the Blade Isle.

"Hewpoe?" Lilyacoo called, gazing back at the ship's wheel. Hewpoe was back to his place, getting more and more used to his part of the job.

"We're still a bit far away from the Isle," Hewpoe informed, "so I'd say we have about two hours before we reach it."

Lilyacoo nodded. "'Kay. Good to know. And… our new cannons doing fine?"

"Yeah! The frontal one still works after we tested it against Komm, and the others are still waiting to be used. Coo-Hatch is already fine with the change, too!"

"Right. Thanks for the info. Oh and uh… I hope you don't mind this… situation you're in. Y'know, with you being a prince and all."

Hewpoe giggled. "Of course not!" he exclaimed. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

Lilyacoo sighed again. Too many things had happened today. "Alright, if you're lookin' for me, I'll be in my cabin. I need a nap. I'll be back whenever we reach Blade Isle."

"Okay! I'll warn Klonoa and Komm so they don't disturb you. Have a good nap!" Hewpoe waved as Lilyacoo turned back, walked as fast as she could towards her cabin and hastily sprung inside, closing the door behind her, immersing herself in the blackness of her personal space.

"Home, sweet home..." she muttered. Despite the surrounding obscurity, Lilyacoo had no problem navigating inside of her little lair. She hanged her beloved wing-like blue cloak on her door and removed her boots, closing her eyes to enjoy the cold contact of her bare feet with the ground. She reached for a tiny desk on the side of her room, opened a drawer and pulled out a pulsating red orb, sign that it was active. Lilyacoo climbed in her bed, staring at the object.

"Y'know..." Lilyacoo whispered. "All things considered, today was pretty cool. I'm just kinda sad that… that they saw me freak out again."

Several pulsations answered her.

"Yeah, I guess I kinda messed up there. But you should be happy, y'know! Hewpoe and I took a while, but we managed to absorb an _entire_ ship for you, and saved the best part for the Coo-Hatch! Everything else was for you!"

Another pulsation.

"Yes, I _know_ you would've preferred the actual idiots on the ship instead of the ship itself, but I wasn't gonna do that in front of _them_. They wouldn't understand. Especially not Klonoa. Besides, Gourmet's here now. Getting more Kernels is gonna be even harder with him around – and before you ask, _no_ , it's out of the question!"

Weaker pulsations. They seemed much softer, and much more rhythmical.

"Look, I'm just repaying the favor for everything you're doing for me, okay? Don't push it. You're not even supposed to stay in my Orb, but it's your house now! Which means that I have even _less_ control of my ability! So you can't blame me for being careful about how I feed you. And… And the _ghosts_ might come back! I mean I know you're absorbing them all the time, but… But… Y'know..." hot tears appeared on Lilyacoo's face. "I can sleep now. I can finally sleep so well. I don't want that to stop!" she hugged her orb with utmost care. It emitted a vibrant light in return.

"Me too, Lun." Lilyacoo whispered. "We'll figure something out, okay? We just have to be patient. But you'll get your Kernels, and I'll get my freedom. I promise." Lilyacoo closed her eyes once again, just as the Orb's soft light slowly faded away, allowing them both to fall into a well-deserved slumber.

 **Vision 2-4: Clear!**

* _Reference to Namco X Capcom_


	9. Vision 2-5

**Vision 2-5: Time of Crisis**

Klonoa took a deep breath to prepare himself for his next action. He raised his head, and as usual, the sea wind welcomed him with a refreshing hug, toying around with his long ears as its breezes passed. Klonoa opened his eyes and bent his knees, grinning confidently as he raised his Wind Blade in front of him.

"Okay Komm, I'm ready!" Klonoa exclaimed, eyes focused on his training partner. "Give me your best shot! I _know_ can deflect it this time!"

Komm grinned back and put away his main Popsicle sword behind his back and unsheathed the two shorter ones.

"You sure about that, buddy?" Komm couldn't help but ask, as confident as ever. "You've been close to do it, but I'm still not sure you can move fast enough to deflect the full thing. _But_ , since you insist… Here goes." Shining glyphs appeared on his blades and he used them to draw several lines in the air, until the lines of light formed a bizarre symbol. Komm glared at Klonoa, his attire and scabbards placed on it slightly moving around like tiny waves.  
Then finally, Komm took a step forward, walked through his symbol and disappeared, before reappearing right in front of Klonoa.

" _Gimme Five_!"

Klonoa could clearly see it now: Komm briefly summoned his wings and lunged forward, using one of his swords to tackle his opponent. At such a short range, it was nearly impossible to see the hit coming, much less defend against it.  
But luckily for him, Klonoa had bee training with Komm enough time to anticipate any twist the mercenary could give to this first hit. Which is exactly why he managed to swing his Wind Blade just in time to intercept the swift move while simultaneously moving one of his leg to absorb the impact as much as he could, thus sliding across the ground after the hit without falling down or losing his balance.

" _Up High!_ "

As expected, Komm immediately pursued Klonoa and used his left blade to perform a devastating uppercut. Klonoa once again managed to block it, but the blow was so powerful it still made him fly off the ground, though this time, he managed to use his ears as wings to stabilize his position.  
Just in time.

" _Down Low!_ "

Here came the next hit: Komm took off as well and extended his right arm before swinging it forward, thus performing a flawless overhead slash with his weapon. Klonoa moved his own weapon above his head and endured the hit, reaching for the ground again. But, with his ears still flapping, he performed a back flip in mid-air. With that, he landed on the ground, shaken, but still mostly unharmed.

 _Here comes the hardest one…_ Klonoa couldn't help but think to himself. He was just about to prepare himself for the next action that Komm reached for the ground as well and dashed to his side, both arms folded so that he could strike with both of his swords like an unstoppable cannonball.  
But once again, Klonoa was prepared.

" _Wahoo_!" Klonoa exclaimed before swinging his Wind Blade for a vertical slash.

" _Too Slow_!" having said that, Komm spun around in his usual mocking fashion, barely dodging the hit as he took momentum to counter-attack. But to his complete surprise, Klonoa had shifted the direction of his blade from a vertical to a lateral position, which allowed him to spin around as well. A gush of wind suddenly appeared around him and, seconds later, Komm was biting the dust, having been viciously struck on the side by an unavoidable Klonoa's Wind Sword. Komm quickly rose up from the ground, utter shock painted on his face. It was impossible, and yet, it had happened right before his eyes.  
Klonoa had _exceeded_ his speed.

"YES!" Klonoa exclaimed joyfully, jumping around the Coo-Hatch "I did it! I beat Komm's High Five! I _finally_ did it!"

"DARN IT!" Komm shouted, dropping his swords to take his head with both hands. "Two hours! It took him only _two, freakin' hours_ to understand how one of my favorite skills worked, and half an hour more to counter it! What the heck!" Komm pointed an accusing finger at Klonoa. "D'you have _any_ idea how LONG it took me to master it? Even Pattern himself couldn't do anything against it for a couple of days! Darn it, Klonoa!"

"That just means I'll be able to stand up to Daii by the time we meet again, huh?" Klonoa asked, eyes glittering. "I can't wait to see how strong I can become!"

Komm let out a defeated sigh. He raised his head, a light smile on the face."You know what? Me too, actually." he admitted. "It's freakin' amazing how fast you can learn to adapt yourself to people, and that's definitely a quality you're gonna need in a fight. Let's call it a day, though. I'm waaaay to shocked to continue right now."

"Don't worry! Komm! Just think about the ice creams waiting for you after this!"

A dreamy expression made its way on Komm's face. "Mmm. You got a point there, kid. Especially the Panic series. These…. Aaah, these are just the BEST. Oh and speakin of best, there's something you shouldn't forget." Komm pointed a dramatic finger at Klonoa. "I'm still much stronger than you are right now. "Komm declared. "You've managed to dodge one of my skills _during training_ , but fighting in the heat of battle is another story. And I haven't mixed it with my other stuff yet, so for now, you walk away safely. But you still have a lot to learn!"

"Don't worry about me, I'll learn as I go!" Klonoa answered. "And it's perfect, 'cause I can't wait to learn more!"

"Mm! That's the spirit. Alright then! Let's see if Hewpoe got any info for us. We should be very close to Blade Isle by now." joining words with action, Komm grabbed his swords and put them back in their respective scabbards. The duo walked towards the ship's prow, with Komm putting his hands behind his head – or rather, behind the giant golden bow that was decorating it.

"Oi, Hewpoe!" Komm called. "Are we there yet?"

Hewpoe turned back and smiled at them before pointing a finger at an island that was right in front of the Coo-Hatch. It was still too far for them to distinguish any particular feature, but land was there. That alone was reassuring for everyone.

"That should answer your question!" Hewpoe replied in a malicious tone. "We have about half an hour before we reach it. Are you guys ready?"

Both warriors nodded, with Komm pointing a finger towards Klonoa. " _This guy_ is especially ready." He assured. "The Blade Clan's definitely going to love his abilities, I'm sure of it!"

Klonoa gave him a curious gaze. "You've been there before, Komm?"

"Yup! Where do you think I get my job offers from? I was part of their band for a while, but that was mostly because I needed a place to stay in 'til my next big trip round Pugiland. You, to get some more bounties and make my ice cream collection a little bit bigger."

"You… Have an ice cream collection?" Klonoa inquired, incredulous.

"He sure, freakin' does, maggot." A third voice intervened behind them. Komm and Klonoa turned back, gazing at an awakened Lilyacoo. She put a hand to her mouth, covering an enormous yawn. For once she wasn't wearing her cape and was barefooted, only wearing a red shirt with equally red trousers. "Gourmet's fetish for ice creams is _that_ crazy." she continued, walking towards the group. "So, did I miss any–" Lilyacoo suddenly froze in place, staring hard at Komm. The mercenary took a step back, slightly intimidated.

"Uh…" Komm whispered, taking another step back as he noticed Lilyacoo's stare transform into an angry scowl. "Did… What did I..."

" _IDIOT_!" Lilyacoo suddenly exploded, rushing to his side. She put her hands behind Komm's head and promptly removed his giant bow before speed-walking back to her cabin.

"Careless... Mindless... _Dumb_ …! UGH!" with that, Lilyacoo slammed the door shut, leaving Hewpoe, Klonoa and Komm in a state of utter surprise.

"K-Komm?" Klonoa called. "Do you… know what just happened? Why did she…?"

"She made that bow herself." Komm revealed, sighing miserably. "and I'm… Well I kinda vowed I'd take care of it like the apple of my eye. Since she just left with it, it probably means that..."

The door to Lilyacoo's cabin slammed open and she marched back to Komm's position once again.

"Means that you messed up, yes you did, and yes I heard everything!" Lilyacoo exclaimed. "It's not the bow I care about ya big fat imbecile! It's the protective charm inside!" Lilyacoo passed her arms around Komm's neck yet again, attaching the giant bow behind the mercenary with a softness that utterly contrasted with her harsh tone and words. She locked her gaze into Komm's.

" _I shall be your rescuing maiden when the world is set aflame._ " Lilyacoo recited. " _Your life, your heart, your very soul shall be protected by the shining light of my artifact. With it, my smoldering passion will remain by your side. Let it forever remain as intact as your being, O my dear, dear Gourmet Blade._ " Beams of red light flew from Lilyacoo's hand and reached for the bow. It instantly appeared much brighter than it did before. Komm put a hesitant hand on it, making sure that it was well attached.

"Uh… Thanks Luna, I–"

Komm's sentence was interrupted by a vicious slap on the cheek.

"That's for forcing me to repeat the most embarrassing protective chant I've ever written." Lilyacoo exclaimed, still very much angry. "And that…!" she continued before slapping Komm on the other cheek, " _That's_ for damaging the bow, you moron! You _know_ it can't protect you at ALL if it's scratched somewhere! And I don't even know how you did it, since it has its own layer of shields to prevent that from happening!"

"B-B-But Luna, I–"

"I don't care." Lilyacoo interrupted bitterly. "Y'know, I didn't waste my time on that gift to watch you destroy it little by little. If you wanna be _that_ careless, Gourmet, then don't wear it. You're too much of a tomboy anyway."

Komm put a hand to his left cheek, where slight drops of blood were dripping out of the claw marks Lilyacoo had made. He appeared to be on the verge of tears.

"I… You… You still don't know if I'm a boy or a girl, so you can't really… um… I..."

"You're a girl to me." Lilyacoo interrupted, destroying the mercenary's weak attempt at defending himself. "And a horrible one, with that. It's all that matters now. But thanks, y'know. At least I'm woken up." Lilyacoo turned to Hewpoe. "I'll be back in a few minutes, preferably when we finally reach our destination. As for you," she continued, glaring at Komm, "You can help Klonoa train if you want. But the less I see your face, the less claw marks you'll get on it. So make yourself disappear as much as possible."

"Luna!" Komm exclaimed desperately. "I'm sorry about the bow, okay?! But you have to listen to me! I couldn't protect it well enough because I was… I mean, Zaya… she…!"

"Okay, so you might have an actual, decent excuse." Lilyacoo conceded, slightly softened by the mention of their former companion. "But I still hate your guts right now, and have a decent excuse for that too, Gourmet. So we'll settle things later." she gazed at Klonoa. "Sorry for this… stupid domestic scene, by the way. It's none of your business, and we're dragging each other into enough trouble already."

Klonoa flashed a thumbs up. "It's okay!" he assured. "If Guntz was here, trust me, you won't be happy about some of our disputes either. But… Um, is it too much if I asked who that Zaya person is?"

Briefly retrieving their past complicity, Komm and Lilyacoo shared a nostalgic gaze.

"You just need to know that she's awesomeness incarnate!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Well you'd have to tell us more later anyway, because we've finally arrived!" Hewpoe announced, gazing at the small island before their eyes. "And… I don't think you're going to like what you see..."

When they turned towards the direction Hewpoe indicated, the group didn't understand what he meant at first. In front of them lied a beautiful island, its soil being covered with magnificent plains of turquoise-colored grass that seemed to circle around the entire place. Beyond the plains – and seemingly at the center of the isle – lied a giant, broadsword-shaped tower, with its large blade planted on the ground as if a gargantuan Excalibur had been left for someone to lift it out of its stone. An urban center could be seen below the tower, and it was certainly there from which the Blade Clan took action. However, despite how impressive the entire place, it took only a few seconds for the crew on the Coo-Hatch to realize that there was a major problem.  
Blade Isle was covered in water.

"Look!" Hewpoe exclaimed again, pointing at the sword tower. "There's something stuck on it!"

"Darn it." Komm whispered, staring at a blurry serpentine figure circling around the tower. "That's a Dalvyon. And a _big_ one. But how the heck did it get here?"

"What's a Dalvyon?" Klonoa inquired, pulling out his Wind Ring in anticipation.

"The name comes from a family of Leviathan class of monsters that live in the Abyss Plains of Pugiland." Komm explained. "They're under the rule of a powerful family of mages, and I think they're some sort of royal dynasty or something. Nobody knows much about them, 'cause they wanna stay independent, but the point is, they have some renegades that sometime come back to the surface, and Blade Clan members or mercenaries like me are sent in the underground dungeon of the Blade Tower to destroy 'em. And _that_ thing looks more like a Royal Dalvyon than a common renegade."

"What does that mean then?" Klonoa asked, slightly confused. "There's a war between the Royal Dalvyons and the Combat Clans?"

"I don't think so… Nobody wants a war, 'cause too much destruction and whatnot. I just know that some Dalvyons are not supposed to be released though. So maybe someone did something they weren't supposed to do. AKA someone wants the Blade Clan to go down."

"Leave the big explanations for later, Gourmet! We've got work to do!"

The group turned around. Lilyacoo appeared before their eyes, wearing her full attire, with her cape proudly floating along with the wind. On her belt could be since a strange holster, inside of which rested a shiny red orb. Komm let out a gasp.

"Luna?" he called softly. "The situation's that serious for you to use your Orb?"

"I don't know." Lilyacoo admitted. "But the entire place's getting flooded, a Dalvyon's out, and we don't know the extent of its power. So listen up, maggots! We're going in no matter what and we're solving this situation." Lilyacoo pointed a finger at Klonoa. "You wanted to make an impression on the Blade Clan? Well, here's your chance. Reach the Dalvyon, save some peeps, and they'll probably let you in or something."

"Aye, Captain!" Klonoa shouted, motivated. "Wouldn't have it any other way!"

Lilyacoo nodded. "Good. Then get ready to fly off the Wind Launcher." Lilyacoo snapped her finger, and her emblem appeared on the ground next to the mast: a winged sphere held by a clawed hand. A hatch opened, and a the massive golden cannon that was the Wind Launcher revealed itself to the group.

"Gourmet," Lilyacoo continued, "as soon as Klonoa's thrown out of there, you're following him with your wings. You know the place, so you'll have to show him the quickest path towards the Blade Tower. You're up for it?"

Komm flashed a thumbs up. "Strongest mercenary in Pugiland, Luna!" he exclaimed. "Of course I can make the cut!"

Lilyacoo couldn't help but grin. "That a girl." she commented. "Now, Hewpoe! Combat Clans in general don't receive much strangers, and they usually want them to stay out of their business. Since they never saw a ship the size of the Coo-Hatch, they might think we're a new bunch of enemies. So you and I will leave the ship somewhere safe and stay inside to make sure we can defend it, and explain people who we are and why we're here."

"But… What if they're too hostile?" Hewpoe asked, slightly nervous. "I mean, I can use the Coo-Hatch's new cannons, but… I wouldn't want to..."

Lilyacoo raised her hand. With a terrifying cracking sound, nasty claws grew out of her hand, looking perfectly capable to tear anything apart within seconds.

"That's why I'm staying with ya, big guy." Lilyacoo continued, smiling confidently. "No one touches my ship and crew if I have somethin' to say about it. And that's wh you're going inside the Coo-Hatch right now. I need these cannons ready in case things go south. C'mon people! Up and at 'em!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Klonoa and Hewpoe exclaimed. The latter disappeared, passing through the Coo-Hatch's planks like a ghost, while Klonoa jumped inside of the Wind Launcher, getting ready for the next mission.

"I'm proud of you."

Lilyacoo turned around. Komm was looking down at her, smiling happily.

"Really, I am." he continued. "I'm… really sorry I couldn't be there for you when you needed it, but… I'm glad you managed to become so… strong. Well, stronger than before anyway."

"Hmm. I still think I'm kinda weak." Lilyacoo replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "But thanks. Oh and uh..." she put a hand behind her cape and pulled out a leaf. "That's for your… your claw marks." Lilyacoo whispered. "Sorry for getting mad at you earlier, Gourmet. I know I'm being too harsh, but..."

"Shh. Don't worry." Komm interrupted. "I don't need that healing leaf. I'd rather keep the scar as long as possible. I think it'll be a good reminder of how I need to be less selfish and reckless. And, y'know. Start thinking more about you from now on."

Lilyacoo rolled her eyes. "Pff… Stop trying to look cool, Gourmet." with that said, she pushed her friend overboard, and Komm activated his wings, diving towards the water before springing back up. She raised her head, gazing at him. "...You're already cool enough as it is, y'know."

Like a frostbit angel, Komm dived down towards the Coo-Hatch with his icy wings for the sole purpose of winking at Lilyacoo.

"I heard that." Komm simply commented before dashing towards Blade Isle, Popsicle sword in hands.

A bright smile illuminated Lilyacoo's face as she snapped her fingers, finally allowing a green sphere to spring off of the Wind Launcher's mouth and fly towards Blade Isle. The green sphere was suddenly cut several times and Klonoa appeared, Wind Blade in hand, a smile on the face.

"Hey there, eavesdropper!" Komm greeted, flying next to his falling friend. "Looks like you've enjoyed what you heard so much that you're forgetting the situation you're in right now, huh?"

"Coo's not angry anymore, you're not sad anymore, so there's nothing I need to worry about either!" Klonoa shouted over the blasts of wind around him. "Let's get to this tower, Komm! We'll show that monster how we save an island!" Klonoa's Wind Sword disappeared as the Ring itself shone once again, just as his Air Board materialized itself in front of him. Once on it, Klonoa bent his knees. His Air Board reached the water below, slightly hovering above it.

"You're a riot, Klonoa of the Wind." Komm declared solemnly, impressed by Klonoa's performance. "Allow me to accept your offer and show you round this place and make sure we stop that Dalvyon, show him who's boss and save this place!"

" _Wahoo_!" Klonoa exclaimed, heart pounding with excitement. "I'm ready, Gourmet Blade Komm! Show me the way!" letting his Wind Blade shine once again, Klonoa extended his blade in a saluting gesture, crossing it with Komm's Popsicle sword.

"Don't blink." Komm warned with a playful grin. "One wrong turn, and I may not be able to catch you."

"I've been through worse and you know it!" Klonoa replied, grinning back.

The two friends blasted through the waterways of Blade Isle, with the mutual feeling that their adventure was finally beginning.

 **Vison 2-5: Clear!**


End file.
